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Frontispiece 


TWO OF THE BEST 


BY 

DOROTHY QUIGLEY 

Tr 

AUTHOR OF “EVERYBODY’S FAIRY GODMOTHER,” “SUCCESS IS FOR YOU ’ 
“ THE WAY TO KEEP YOUNG,” AND “ WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US ” 


Illustrated by WM. H. DRAKE 



NEW YORK 

E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY 

WEST TWENTY-THIRD STREET 


LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 

JAN 6 1905 

/ Copyngnt tniry 

/V, / 9a / 

CUSS «- XXc, Nos 

/ 9 9 

COPY B. 



Copyright, 1901 

BY 

E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY 


<5 




Ube Iknicfeerbocfccr press, IRew Jt)orft 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. — What Rowdy Did i 

II.— Great Changes for Rowdy . n 

III. — Wrecked 28 

IV. — Back in San Francisco . . 40 

V. — In a New Home .... 44 

VI. — The Fight . . . 57 

VII.— Talking Things Over . . 64 

VIII. — Rowdy Joins the Firm , . 72 

IX. — Rowdy Wants to Learn . . 86 

X. — Clarence Loses a Chance . . 101 

XI. — Rowdy Gets into Trouble . 113 

XII. — The Bunco-Steerer . . .13° 

XIII. — The Big Trees . . . .140 

XIV. — The Football Game . . . 153 

XV. — The Story of a Strange Valley 160 

XVI. — Journeying through the Desert 174 

XVII. — Lost in the Desert . . .183 

XVIII.— Clarence Goes to Brussels. . 195 

XIX.— Saved by Chance. . . .203 

XX. — A Soldier in Manila . . . 213 

XXL — A Joyful Meeting . . .225 

iii 





















TWO OF THE BEST 

CHAPTER I 

WHAT ROWDY DID 

A THOUGHT flashed into Rowdy’s 
** mind. He suddenly left the group 
of boys who had come down with him 
that morning to see the steamer on which 
his father was sailing for Peru. They 
were so deeply interested in watching the 
passengers go aboard that they did not 
miss Rowdy for some time. When they 
did, they thought he had gone to say 
good-by again to his father. 

Rowdy had resolved to do something 
else. He ran as fast as he could down 
the dark, dirty wharf to the street. He 


2 


Two of the Best 


jumped on a cable-car. It sped swiftly 
along, but, quickly as it went, it seemed 
slow to Rowdy. He had an impulse 
to swing off the car and run. He was 
angry every time it stopped for passen- 
gers. He scowled at them for making 
him lose time. The car waited a minute 
for a pretty girl, who was running to get 
on it. Rowdy muttered to himself, and 
gave her such an angry look she was as- 
tonished ; but, having a kind heart, she 
whispered, pityingly, “ Poor little boy, are 
you in trouble ? ” 

“ Naw ! ” scornfully snapped Rowdy. 

Fortunately for him, the car stopped 
but a few times. When he came to the 
crossing near the house in which he lived, 
he leaped off so quickly he seemed to fly. 
He ran rapidly down two blocks and 
stopped in front of an old, two-story house. 
Nobody was at home. 

“ What luck ! ” thought Rowdy. 

The front door was locked. He sped 


What Rowdy Did 


3 


around to the side of the house and down 
an alley into a little yard upon which the 
kitchen opened. He put his hand through 
a broken pane in the kitchen window and, 
raising it, jumped into the house. He 
went up-stairs three steps at a time. He 
bounded into his bedroom, grabbed a pil- 
low, pulled off the case, and ran to his 
bureau. He jerked open a drawer, and 
as fast as his fingers could move he stuffed 
into the pillow-case shirts, socks, and col- 
lars. Snatching a coat that was hanging 
on the door, he flung himself out of the 
room, saying : “ I bet they won’t search for 
me when they see V ve taken my things.” 

Suddenly he wheeled around and rushed 
back into the room and took from over his 
bed an old-fashioned locket. It was made 
of thin gold, worn thinner by much hand- 
ling. Its cover was gone. In it was the 
picture of a woman’s face of rare loveli- 
ness. Whoever looked upon it was glad- 
dened by the bright smile that parted the 


4 


Two of the Best 


tender lips and shone in the honest eyes. 
It was the picture of Rowdy’s mother, 
who had died a week after he was born. 
He often talked to it, and once, when in 
great trouble, he prayed to it. 

He ran from the room with a whoop, 
slid down the banisters, plunged through 
the kitchen and out of the window, and, 
with head bent forward and heels flying, 
galloped down the street. 

He swung on to a Market Street cable- 
car, and sat down, mopping his face with 
an old silk handkerchief, and panting like 
a tired dog. His heart beat so loudly he 
thought he could hear it. It seemed as if 
the pulse at his wrists and temples would 
throb through his skin. He could hardly 
sit still. He felt as if he must get out 
and push the car to make it go faster, 
faster ! Before it reached the terminus at 
the wharf, Rowdy was hanging on the 
front step, ready to leap off like a fright- 
ened hare. He hurried along the wharf, 


What Rowdy Did 


5 


slackening his pace a bit as he came near 
the steamer. The boys did not see him. 
The gong had just sounded for all persons 
not going to South America to go ashore. 
Rowdy quickly sidled up the gangplank. 
The officer in charge stopped him, shout- 
ing : “Here! You young rascal! Off 
with you ! No one is allowed aboard 
now.” 

Rowdy wriggled out of his grasp, pant- 
ing : “ I must go on board a second. 

These things belong to one of the firemen.” 

A quarrel in the crowd on the wharf 
attracted the officer’s attention. Rowdy 
slipped by him on to the deck. He ran 
along it unobserved, and, dodging below, 
threw his bundle into the donkey-boiler 
room. He then went above, and was 
soon lost in the crowd. The gangplank 
was drawn up. When the steamer moved 
away from its dock, he was standing for- 
ward among the steerage passengers, try- 
ing to attract the attention of the boys 


6 


Two of the Best 


who had come down with him to see his 
“ Governor ” off. 

The boys finally saw him. They were 
dumfounded with astonishment for a sec- 
ond, and then they gave a wild whoop of 
admiration. They hurrahed their good- 
bys with resounding cheers. Rowdy 
sprang upon a seat, and, with the sure and 
easy freedom of a bird, balanced himself 
on one foot, flinging the other out into the 
air as he whirled his hat gaily at the boys. 

Nat Ryan, destined to be the leader 
now that Rowdy had gone, pointed to 
him and declaimed : 

“ ‘ The boy stood on the steerage deck, 
Where none but him had fled ’ ” — 

“ He won’t cry ‘ Father,’ I bet,” inter- 
rupted Dan Upton, who was quick to see 
a point. 

“ How do you know his father did n’t 
take him with him ?” demanded Mel Dick- 


inson. 


What Rowdy Did 


7 


“ Do you s’pose Rowdy ’d been in the 
steerage if his father had?” asked Dan, 
mockingly. “ I know his father don’t 
care a red cent for him, and if he finds out 
Rowdy ’s on board, he ’ll have him sent 
back the first chance he gets,” continued 
Dan. 

“ I ’ll bet he ’ll be found out ’fore night 
and we ’ll see him dodging round here 
to-morrow,” said George Aulick, enviously. 

“ Not by a long sight,” protested big- 
hearted Mel Dickinson, who loved Rowdy 
like a brother, and stood by his friends 
ready to help or defend them as faithfully 
as a Newfoundland dog. “ He won’t 
go sneaking behind boilers and stowing 
away. He ’ll walk among the steerage 
folks as if he was one of ’em and every- 
body will think he is. D’ ye see ? Rowdy 
is the smartest feller that ever lived,” an- 
nounced Mel, growing enthusiastic, and 
pleased with the fact that he commanded 
the attention of the group. “ When 


8 


Two of the Best 


Rowdy was only nine his father was going 
to China, and Rowdy and Charlie Bush 
sneaked on board and stowed away be- 
hind the boiler in the engine-room. They 
covered themselves with the stringy stuff 
the engineers clean the boilers with. When 
the oiler came round to get his rags, he 
grabbed a bundle of ’em, but some would- 
n’t come loose. He had hold of Rowdy’s 
hair,” explained Mel, laughing. “ You 
can just guess Rowdy was glib. As the 
man hauled him out, Rowdy said : ‘ If you 
don’t mind, I ’d rather have the oil first 
and the combing after.’ The man thought 
this was sassy and gave him a cuff on the 
ear, and would have finished him, only he 
saw Charlie Bush’s feet sticking out from 
under the pile of rags. He pulled Charlie 
out by his feet. The oiler was huffy, I 
can tell you. He wanted to know how 
many more there were. Rowdy told him 
only two of ’em and that they were all 
alone in the world, and they had hidden 


What Rowdy Did 


9 


in the engine-room cause they wanted to 
be a chief like him. You see the man 
was n’t a chief,” snickered Mel, nudging 
Nat Ryan in the ribs ; “ but it tickled him 
so to be taken for one, that he said a good 
word for the boys to the first engineer, 
who was a bully feller and fixed it with 
the chief for the boys to stay, if they were 
willing to work. They said they were. 
They cleaned cylinders and fetched and 
carried and helped everybody in the en- 
gine-room, from the chief down to the coal- 
heaver. When they got to Shanghai, 
where Rowdy’s father was, Rowdy had to 
do a heap of dodging, but one day he had 
hold of a door-knob to go into a house 
and his father had hold of the same knob 
to come out. Course they ran into each 
other. Rowdy’s father was so hopping 
mad, he could do nothing but swear for 
five minutes. Course he wanted to know 
what brought Rowdy to that country. 
Rowdy told him the steamship Japan to 


IO 


Two of the Best 


Yokohama and the Costa Rica to Shang- 
hai. His father told him he’d have to 
take those steamers and go straight back. 
Rowdy would n’t do it until the American 
consul got after him. His father told the 
consul that Rowdy had run away from 
school ” 

“ Rats ! ” interrupted Nat Ryan. “ His 
father did n’t know he ever went to school. 
He never did a thing for Rowdy, the 
Meads say.” 

“Yes, he did. He gave the Meads 
some money for him. But it was fixed 
that Rowdy should work for his board. 
You see, boys,” continued Mel, “Rowdy’s 
had lots of experience for one of his age. 
He ’s twelve now.” 

“More ’n any of us,” said Nat, “and 
we ain’t tied to anybody’s apron-string 
either.” 



CHAPTER II 

GREAT CHANGES FOR ROWDY 

\ AT’HILE the poor boys of the street 
* * were discussing Rowdy, he was as 
happy as a squirrel in a nut tree. He 
screened himself in a group that stood 
with eyes turned longingly toward San 
Francisco until that proud city set on hills 
seemed but a vanishing figure in a cloud. 
As soon as the steamer passed through 
the Golden Gate, Rowdy went below and 
stealthily managed to get his bundle out 


ii 


12 


Two of the Best 


of the donkey-boiler room without any- 
body’s seeing him. He looked for a berth, 
and took the first clean one he saw, put- 
ting his pillow-case of clothes at the head 
of the bunk. Not much attention is 
given to steerage passengers and nobody 
troubled Rowdy. 

He made the acquaintance of two negro 
minstrel performers. They sang planta- 
tion songs, accompanying themselves on 
their banjos. Rowdy, who had a keen 
ear for music, joined in the choruses. As 
he could dance a jig and sing popular dit- 
ties, the minstrels asked him to join them. 
They also asked a quiet boy who played 
the violin in a remarkably clever way. 
This odd company made the evenings 
pass pleasantly for the steerage folk, and 
soon attracted the attention of the first- 
cabin passengers, who were ever ready for 
fresh amusements. 

One evening when the minstrels were 
giving their usual entertainment, Rowdy 


13 


Great Changes for Rowdy 

saw his father and the chief engineer 
coming forward. His comrades did not 
know his father was on board. Rowdy 
slipped away from his companions with- 
out saying a word. His father and the 
chief engineer went to the minstrels, and, 
after a little chat with them, asked them 
to sing over again the song they had just 
finished. The minstrels, missing Rowdy, 
shouted, “ Lowell ! Lowell ! ” 

“ That ’s my name,” answered Rowdy’s 
father, in some surprise. 

“ It ’s the name of one of our jolliest 
singers,” replied the head minstrel. 

Rowdy not responding to their call, the 
minstrels strummed on their banjos and 
sang several darky melodies without 
him. 

Rowdy had gone down the gangway at 
the other side of the ship, never thinking 
his father would come there. It was a 
cul-de-sac, and there was but one way 
out of it. To Rowdy’s dismay, the chief 


14 Two of the Best 

engineer, who wished to show Mr. Lowell 
something, led him down the gangplank. 
Rowdy could neither run nor hide, and 
stood facing the men as they came down. 

“ What in thunder are you doing here ? ” 
exclaimed Mr. Lowell, glaring in angry 
surprise at Rowdy. 

“ Going to South America,” answered 
Rowdy, fearlessly. 

“ With whom ?” demanded his father. 

“ Myself,” said Rowdy, grinning. 

“ Who is paying your way ? ” persisted 
Mr. Lowell. 

“That’s my affair,” responded Rowdy, 
scowling furtively at the chief engineer. 

Mr. Lowell uttered an unrepeatable 
oath, and, turning away in disgust from 
his son, mounted the gangway. 

The next evening all the steerage pas- 
sengers were upon the forward deck. The 
boys and the minstrels were singing and 
playing, as usual. Rowdy was in high 
spirits and danced gaily. He had heard 


nothing from his father, and had concluded 
that he was ashamed to own a stowaway 
as a son. 

Rowdy was dancing and singing when 
he suddenly heard his father saying, 
“ There he is ! That ’s the young rascal ! ” 
He turned, and saw his father and the 
chief engineer. 

Mr. Lowell took Rowdy by the collar 
and led him off to the captain. 

“Where ’s your ticket, young man?” 
sternly demanded the captain. 

“ I don’t know. I have n’t seen it,” 
saucily answered Rowdy. The captain, 
not at all pleased with this insolent an- 
swer, requested the chief engineer to take 
charge of Rowdy and put him to work. 

“ Make him earn his passage till you 
can put him aboard a return steamer for 
San Francisco,” said Mr. Lowell. 

The chief took Rowdy down to the en- 
gine-room and, turning him over to the 
first engineer, said : “ Need somebody to 


i6 


Two of the Best 



shovel coal, don’t you ? Here’s a young 
man out of work.” 

“ And out of luck,” muttered Rowdy, 
remembering with a sickening feeling the 
hot, dirty stokehole in which he occasion- 
ally helped when 
a stowaway on 
the steamer to 
Shanghai. 

“ His father 
is a first- 
cabin 


ROWDY IN THE ENGINE ROOM 


Great Changes for Rowdy 17 

passenger, but refuses to put up for this 
scapegrace, who tried to steal a passage. 
Make him sweat for his bread,” said the 
chief as he mounted the steep iron ladder. 

In a short time, Rowdy, stripped to the 
waist, was heaving coal and raking the 
red-hot furnaces, that gleamed, crackled, 
and glowed with a fierce heat that scorched 
his face and hands. The red glare blinded 
him and the hot air almost suffocated him. 
He shovelled with an unsteady hand and 
foot, and at times it seemed as if he would 
slip and lurch forward into the cave of 
flames. The thud, thud of the engine 
deafened him, and the smell of the oil and 
the rolling motion of the ship made him 
dizzy and sick. He was angry with his 
father. He would see that he was kept 
at work, and the harder it was the more 
his father, who was a boon companion of 
the chief engineer, would approve of it. 

“ Better heave away, young fellow,” said 
an old coal-passer, not unkindly. He was 


Two of the Best 


18 

a bit of a philosopher, and added, cheerily : 
“ The sooner yer see yer can’t get some- 
thing for nothing in this world, the more 
of a man yer ’ll be. It’s a deal sight 
better to be a coal-heaver than a stow- 
away. This is work. You ’re some ac- 
count in this world when yer work. Thank 
God for work, sez I.” 

The story of Rowdy’s discovery was 
told not only in the steerage, but on the 
upper deck. Some companions of his 
father went down into the stokehole to 
see the bright little chap of whom they 
had heard. They grumbled at the hot- 
ness, the darkness, and the closeness of 
the place. One and all took a liking to 
Rowdy, He looked like an imp of fire. 
His square, well-knit body, bared to the 
waist, already gave signs of strength. 
His large, dark eyes shone and his even 
white teeth gleamed in the fire-flame as 
he laughed at some remark of the wittiest 
of his visitors. He hated his work. He 


19 


Great Changes for Rowdy 

resented their coming, but he was not 
going to let them know he cared. He 
faced his furnace with neither a whine nor 
a grumble. 

“ How do you like working your pas- 
sage ? ” queried the most disagreeable of 
his callers. 

“Jolly job feeding fire,” readily an- 
swered Rowdy, tossing a shovelful into the 
blazing furnace as if he liked to do it. 

“ Bah ! You can’t fool me by that sort 
of bluff,” jeered the man. 

“ I ’m some account now,” answered 
Rowdy, recalling the remark of the old 
coal-passer. “ Where would you, or any- 
body else be, if we let the fires go out ? ” 
he demanded, tossing his head half wag- 
gishly, half defiantly, in the old way the 
boys in Market Street knew so well. 

“ By Jove ! he ’s got sand!” said the 
man as he breathed the fresh air on deck 
and realized how different it was from the 
atmosphere in the stokehole. 


20 


Two of the Best 


“ Lowell, you ought to be proud of that 
boy,” said good-natured Dick Grant. “ He 
has the spirit of a fighting-cock. I wish 
I had a son like him.” The other men 
made remarks in the same vein. 

Dick Grant finally offered to pay the 
boy’s passage, adding : “ If you don’t want 
that young firebrand I ’d be glad to adopt 
him. A chap that takes his medicine as 
he does has the right sort of metal in 
him.” 

This remark appealed to the vanity, if 
not to the pride of Rowdy’s father. For 
the first time in his life, his conscience 
troubled him. Perhaps his treatment of 
his son had been too indifferent, too neg- 
lectful. The men by their talk seemed 
to reflect upon him. He could not en- 
dure that. He sent for Rowdy. 

Rowdy came up on deck, looking black 
and somewhat dirty, but spirited and fear- 
less. His father began by telling him he 
was ashamed he had a son who had no 


Great Changes for Rowdy 21 

more self-respect than to steal his passage 
and what he ate. “ You are really a thief, 
you know, to ” 

“ Fine talk for the like of you ! I do 
not see that it ever made any difference 
to you what I did,” interrupted Rowdy, 
angrily. 

This remark almost determined his 
father to send Rowdy back to the stoke- 
hole again ; but he knew in his heart he 
had not cared for his son properly. “ This 
is your gratitude, is it ? ” he asked. “ You 
young dog. I Ve sent for you to travel 
with me, and I have a berth for you.” 

Rowdy was so completely surprised 
that he simply stared at his father with- 
out uttering a word. 

“ Do you hear me ? ” shouted his father, 
angrily. 

“Yes, I hear,” answered Rowdy, sul- 
lenly. A hard struggle was going on 
within him. He did not wish to go back 
to the stokehole, and yet his spirit rebelled 


22 


Two of the Best 


against accepting what his father had 
offered him in such a manner. He stood 
irresolute for a moment, then said : 

“ Thanks ; I prefer to work my passage,” 
and shoving his hands in his pockets he 
turned to go below. 

“You see what an ungrateful cub he 
is,” remarked Mr. Lowell to the men. 

Dick Grant, the man who had taken 
such a liking to Rowdy, called out : 
“ Rowdy ! Rowdy ! If you won’t take 
the price of your passage from your 
father, take this money and buy it your- 
self,” and he held out four twenty-dollar 
gold pieces, saying: “If I can help it, 
you ’re not going in that hole again. 
You ’re too young for that sort of work.” 
Rowdy saw that he was in earnest, and 
stood flushed and shamefaced. 

“ Come down off your stilts, young man, 
and let me find out what sort of a son I 
have,” said his father in a conciliatory 
tone. 


Great Changes for Rowdy 23 

Rowdy did not enjoy heaving coal. 
He felt like a prisoner in a hot dungeon. 
The brilliant sunshine, the gay wind, and 
the merry waves all invited him to stay on 
deck. He was hungry, and the thought 
of the good things to eat that first-cabin 
passengers get, weakened his will ; his im- 
pulse was to accept the money, and he 
stepped toward Dick Grant, then stood 
still. He did not know it, but stronger 
than personal feeling was his family pride. 
As little as he loved or respected his 
father, he could not demean him by refus- 
ing his offer to accept that of a stranger. 
He shook his head at Dick Grant, and 
moodily went below. His father rose 
without saying a word, and went straight 
to the captain. Handing him the ticket 
he had bought for Rowdy, he said : “ Cap, 
I have n’t done right by that boy of mine. 
He won’t take this from me. I ’d be glad 
if you ’d manage it.” 

That night when Rowdy went on duty 


24 


Two of the Best 


he was told by the chief engineer that he 
was “ honorably discharged,” and that the 
captain wished to see him above. 

After a friendly interview with the cap- 
tain, Rowdy was installed as a first-cabin 
passenger, much to the delight of his 
friends in the steerage, for whom he did 
not hesitate to fill his pockets full of good 
things at the dinner-table every night. 
His father treated him kindly, and seemed 
proud of him. He called him Robert in 
a tone he had never used before, and com- 
manded his son not to answer to the nick- 
name, “ Rowdy.” 

“ It ’s ’stablished now ; can’t be changed. 
Sounds as if people were mad at me when 
they call me ‘ Robert,’ ” explained Rowdy. 
“ I ’ll tell new people my name ’s Robert,” 
he added, quickly. As he grew more and 
more friendly with his father, he wished to 
please him. 

Rowdy’s remark caused a fine-looking 
man standing near him to smile encour- 


Great Changes for Rowdy 25 

agingly at the boy. The man was Profes- 
sor Williams, an astronomer and scientist 
of renown, who was going to Peru. He 
was a first-cabin passenger, but had the 
run of the ship, having taken many a trip 
with the captain. He knew the mate, 
the second engineer, and some of the 
sailors. He was interested in people as 
well as in rocks, and was a most welcome 
visitor in the steerage, where he was 
known as “ Doctor Williams.” 

“ The sight of him makes a fellow feel 
better,” remarked a man in the steerage 
whose health had been greatly improved by 
following the helpful advice of Professor 
Williams. Many of the steerage folk felt 
as this man did. There was scarcely a 
face in the steerage that did not brighten 
when Professor Williams appeared. His 
smile and laugh were infectious. Some 
days when he went below there was such 
a showing of teeth that all the steerage 
seemed to be a-grin with pleasure. Very 


26 Two of the Best 

little escaped his keen gray eyes. He 
had seen Rowdy’s courageous, if some- 
what defiant, work in the stokehole, and 
had had many pleasant chats with the 
boy. Rowdy liked him thoroughly. Pro- 
fessor Williams was already like a father 
to the quiet boy, Clarence Whittleby, 
whose own father, who was ill when the 
steamer started, had died when they were 
two days out. The care, thoughtfulness, 
and affection that Clarence had shown 
towards his father had won for the boy 
the liking of every woman in the steerage 
and of many of the men. His playing on 
the violin had pleased them all, and al- 
though he did not appear to be as popu- 
lar as Rowdy, Clarence was a prime favor- 
ite on the ship and Rowdy’s special chum. 
Poor Clarence was very lonely. He 
missed his kind father more and more 
every day. It did not seem the same 
world without the one who had taught 
him the violin, played, read, walked, talked, 


Great Changes for Rowdy 27 


and shared all his pleasures with him as 
an older brother, yet advised and guided 
him as a wise and tender parent. Rowdy 
felt sorry for Clarence, although he could 
not understand his loss, and never forgot 
to put something good to eat in his pocket 
to take to his chum in the steerage. 

Rowdy was as frisky as a happy chip- 
munk. Never in all his life had his father 
been so kind to him. He chummed with 
the second engineer, played with the sail- 
ors, danced and sang in the steerage, and 
made himself welcome all over the ship. 
His joy was of short duration. 




CHAPTER III 


WRECKED 


CHANGE in the barometer gave 



signs of a coming storm, although 
the weather was fair. The captain feared 
the treacherous currents near the coast 
and decided to put on full steam and 
make a run for San Juanito Island. He 
hoped to gain a safe harbor before the 
storm came on. The good ship was soon 
speeding rapidly along. With steam belch- 
ing, engines throbbing, wheels whizzing, 
and timbers creaking, it seemed a thing of 
life, trembling with the excitement of the 
chase. It sped gaily for some hours, as if 
it were sure of victory. About three 
o’clock in the morning it was attacked by 
an unseen foe. With shrieks, whistles, 


28 


Wrecked 


29 


and long-drawn-out moans, as if a thou- 
sand voices were shouting a fierce battle- 
cry, the lawless wind struck the brave old 
ship. She staggered, then rallied, and 
flew on ; but, fast as she went, she could 
not race against the furious gale that 
seemed to rush from every point of the 
compass and strike at once. The sea 
joined the wind, and together they battered 
against the sides, and in mad fury swept the 
decks, carrying away parts of the rigging 
and the smokestack, and washing two men 
overboard. The old ship trembled with 
rage, and seemed unable to go on ; but, 
gathering new strength and courage, 
plunged fearlessly ahead toward its haven 
of safety. The sea and wind, lashing and 
roaring, caught it and, swerving it from its 
course, tossed it like a plaything hither 
and thither, threatening every moment to 
fling it in pieces on the shore. 

Like a wounded sea-bird, the ship flut- 
tered and rocked in the trough of the 


30 


Two of the Best 


angry sea, and then, as if borne upon wings, 
it battled through the blasting waves that 
towered above it. 

The cry, “ Man the boats ! ” sounded 
like a death-sentence to many of the 
panic-stricken passengers, who were pray- 
ing and weeping. 

Everything was in confusion. Only a 
few brave men and women were calm. 
Some rushed wildly for life-preservers, 
putting them on the wrong way ; others, 
scarcely knowing what they did, tried to 
climb upon the ship’s railing, and were 
swept overboard. In a brief lull two 
boats were launched in the vain hope that 
they would weather the sea and reach 
land. In one was Rowdy’s father and 
his companions. In the excitement, Mr. 
Lowell forgot his son. 

Clarence had been brought on deck by 
Professor Williams when the storm began 
and put in the latter’s stateroom. When 
the Professor found that Rowdy was 



31 “hold tight, FOR YOUR LIVES ! ” 








Wrecked 


33 


deserted he carried him to Clarence, and 
told the boys to wait therefor him. They 
spent the time, not realizing their danger, 
getting down the life-preservers and try- 
ing to put them on. Suddenly the room 
was flooded with water. Professor Wil- 
liams dashed in, caught up the boys, and 
hurried to the fore part of the steamer. 
They huddled there a moment, then Pro- 
fessor Williams shouted : “ Go for the 
rigging ! ” They went like frightened 
monkeys. The Professor followed, tell- 
ing them how to hold on and the way to 
brace their feet for support and protec- 
tion. “Hold tight, for your lives!” he 
yelled. They soon knew the reason why. 
A great wave dashed over the deck. The 
steamer had sprung aleak. It rolled to 
and fro as if in agony, and, shivering as if 
it would go to pieces, the noble old ship 
that had made such a splendid fight 
struck bottom. The stern went under, 
and the waves dashed from port to 


34 


Two of the Best 


starboard. The spar to which Professor 
Williams and the boys were clinging re- 
mained out of water. The spray from a 
great wave occasionally wet them. Rowdy 
clung to his post as if he had grown to it, 
and as the spar swayed in the driving 
wind his heart thrilled with wild joy, and 
he whooped in ecstasy as much as in 
dread. Professor Williams rallied Clar- 
ence, who would have dropped but for his 
words of encouragement. 

Only the Professor knew the real 
danger, and he was so calm and brave that 
he gave a feeling of safety and security to 
the boys. 

Hour after hour they clung to the spar ; 
it seemed as if daylight would never come. 
Suddenly they saw a vessel in the dis- 
tance. They were not sure she would 
sight them. She finally did, and headed 
towards them. Clarence almost lost his 
hold, although his feet were firmly set in 
twists of rope. Professor Williams shouted 


Wrecked 


35 


sternly to him to be a man and not give 
up like a coward when rescue was so near 
at hand. It seemed a long time before 
the Santa Rosa came up to them. She 
was a big steel boat, but the sea was run- 
ning so high she rolled like a skiff. At 
times she seemed to ride in the air, and 
Rowdy could see her white bottom below 
her water-line. The captain did not at- 
tempt to lower a boat. It would have 
gone to pieces in that fearful sea. 

When the Santa Rosa got within a 
cable’s length of the wreck, strong voices 
were heard yelling : “ Hang on ! Don’t 

give up. We ’ll get you off !” 

She circled round them, coming nearer 
and nearer, until she was within a few 
rods, when a big roller swept her far out. 
She went off to starboard, rolling heavily. 
She came back again, and again she 
missed them. They could not have taken 
a line had one been thrown to them. Pro- 
fessor Williams divined that the way they 


3 ^ 


Two of the Best 


would be saved, if saved at all, was a risky- 
one. As he watched the big boat coming 
towards them for the third time, he said : 
“ Be ready, boys, to go to the first man 
who reaches for you.” This advice was 
just in time. The Santa Rosa , driving 
ahead, ran right alongside of the spar, 
and as she went by a dozen men reached 
for the boys and Professor Williams, and 
dragged them over the rail. Clarence 
fainted from exhaustion and fright. 
Rowdy was so weak from the strain and 
excitement he could not speak. Kind 
hands opened Clarence’s jacket and car- 
ried him to a bench. As they lifted him 
his violin fell on the deck. When he first 
learned there was danger he had tied it 
on his back, buttoning his loose coat over 
it. Professor Williams’s face brightened 
with a tender smile as he took up the 
instrument. 

Later in the day, the Santa Rosa picked 
up the few passengers who reached land 


Wrecked 


37 


alive. Rowdy’s father was not among 
them. The negro minstrels, carried upon 
an inrushing wave, had been tossed on 
land as if they were old clothes. They 
thought their rescue a miracle. That of 
the boys and Professor Williams did not 
impress them at all, although the captain 
of the Santa Rosa said it was the most 
daring rescue ever accomplished. If he 
had not managed it himself, he never 
would have believed it possible. This 
remark started a round of tales of ship- 
wreck. It seemed to Rowdy that every- 
one on board had been wrecked once in 
his life, if not oftener. He did not enjoy 
this idea. It made shipwrecks seem very 
ordinary occurrences. That morning he 
had felt very important, telling over and 
over the story of “ his shipwreck ” ; but 
now the men did not seem to be aware of 
his presence. He snuggled against the 
Professor who had one arm around Clar- 
ence, who was still weak and faint. 


38 


Two of the Best 


Professor Williams listened to the tales 
with smiling eyes and lips, but made no 
remarks. All the stock of stories seemed 
to have been exhausted, when the first 
officer referred to him. “ I suppose you 
all know this one,” said the Professor, as 
he began his tale. He was a capital 
story-teller. His full, musical voice lent 
charm to his words. His listeners did not 
realize what ancient and familiar tale he 
was telling until he said : “ They ran the 
ship aground, and the fore part stuck fast , 
and remained unmovable, but the hinder 
part was broken by the violence of the 
waves. 

“ And the soldiers counsel was to kill 
the prisoners, lest any of them should 
swim out and escape ” 

The captain interrupted the Professor 
with a loud laugh, saying, “ Well, I ’d for- 
gotten what a good shipwreck story that is.” 

“ It 's a great yarn,” drawled one of the 
passengers, doubtingly. 


Wrecked 


39 


“Why, man, it’s Gospel,” retorted the 
captain, sternly. 

“ That so ? Where ?” sheepishly asked 
the doubter. 

“Acts 27. Paul shipwrecked at Me- 
lita,” said the Professor. 

Rowdy raised his head, alert for infor- 
mation. “ Is it in the Bible?” he asked, 
surprised. “ Shipwreck, soldiers, prison- 
ers ! Who ’d ever thought of finding 
such a story there ? ” He resolved to bor- 
row a Bible the next morning. Several 
others resolved to do the same thing. 




CHAPTER IV 

BACK IN SAN FRANCISCO 

T'HE Santa Rosa took the shipwrecked 
party back to San Francisco. Rowdy 
did not go back to the Mead family with 
whom he had lived before. He hunted 
up the boys. George Aulick, who proph- 
esied that he would be found out and 
sent back, lost no time in telling all the 
boys he met that Rowdy had been sent 
home. “ I told you so ! I told you so ! ” 
he chuckled. He had chanced to see 
Professor Williams, Clarence, and Rowdy 
get on a Market Street cable-car the 
morning they arrived. He had not heard 
Rowdy’s story, and when he did he was 
more jealous of him than ever. 

To Mel Dickinson, Rowdy was the 

40 


Back in San Francisco 41 

greatest hero on earth. He never tired 
of talking of the shipwreck. “ Think of 
being in a shipwreck ! A real, sure-enough 
shipwreck ! Sounds like a newspaper 
story. It’s great! Were you scared?” 
he asked Rowdy for the hundredth time. 

“ Naw,” answered Rowdy, recklessly, 
forgetting his terrible fright when he was 
pulled off the spar in the joy of being 
the subject of so much attention and ad- 
miration. He soon learned he could not 
earn his bread talking of the shipwreck, 
and that he could not live on praise, as 
much as he liked it. He accepted an 
offer to go with the minstrels. He 
dreamed of making large sums of money 
dancing and singing and having a good 
time. Clarence would not go with the 
company. He did not like their music. 
He had decided to get a place as 
errand boy in a music store. He asked 
Professor Williams if he might stay with 
him until he found something to do. 


42 


Two of the Best 


“ You may stay with me as long as you 
like, son,” kindly answered the Professor, 
covering Clarences head with his great 
hand. The boy smiled confidingly up at 
the Professor, feeling safe and sheltered. 

“ Do not look for any work until I de 
cide what I shall do,” advised the Profes- 
sor. “ Perhaps you can go with me.” As 
nothing in the world could have pleased 
Clarence better, he was glad to wait. 

Rowdy bade the Professor and Clarence 
a most cheerful good-by. He expected 
to become rich in a short time, he told 
them, and would hunt them up. Pro- 
fessor Williams gave his address to the 
confident boy, telling him to write or come 
to him if he were ever in need. All the 
boys were down at the Market Street 
Ferry to see Rowdy start for Sacramento 
with the minstrels. 

Life with them was not so jolly as 
he thought it would be. They had a 
large company, and did not need Rowdy’s 


Back in San Francisco 


43 


services as a singer and dancer ; but as a 
property boy. He had to fetch and carry 
and live a slave’s life, serving everybody 
in the troupe. Instead of being in front 
of the stage, singing and dancing to large 
and appreciative audiences, he was be- 
hind the scenes where the stage looked 
like part of a barn, cluttered up with 
boards, boxes, scenery, and machinery. 
It was dirty and gloomy. He had to run 
up and down narrow stairs leading to 
little cheerless dressing-rooms so many 
times during an evening performance that 
his feet swelled and ached so that he had 
to cut holes in his shoes. He was mes- 
senger boy and boy-of-all-work too. He 
concluded to leave the minstrels as soon 
as he could get some money. They kept 
promising to pay him, but did not do it. 




CHAPTER V 


\A7HILE Row- 
y ' dy was hav- 
ing such unpleas- 
a n t experiences, 
Clarence and Pro- 
fessor Williams 
were enjoying life 
in the happiest 
kind of a way. 

A friend of Pro- 
fessor Williams at the Lick Observatory 
on Mt. Hamilton wrote for him to come 
there. He went, taking Clarence with 

44 


THE TELESCOPE. 


IN A NEW HOME 


In a New Home 


45 


him. He became interested in some im- 
portant work being done at the observa- 
tory and decided to stay there indefinitely, 
much to his old friend’s delight. 

The Professor and Clarence found for 
sale a neat little house, fully furnished. 
It had a fine chicken-yard and a barn. It 
was pleasantly situated not far from the 
road that wound back and forth like a 
spiral up the mountain to the observa- 
tory. A fond old servant, who had been 
in Professor Williams’s family for years, 
gladly came to keep house for him and 
Clarence. It was arranged that Clarence 
should live with the Professor. He 
earned his share in the home by taking 
care of the horse, milking the cow, and 
feeding the chickens. He was as happy 
as a singing bird. He went to school 
down the mountain. Once a week he 
went to San Jose for a music lesson. He 
earned money for his lessons by selling 
egg s and milk to the neighbors. The 


46 


Two of the Best 


professor of music said Clarence would be 
a great violinist, perhaps the greatest 
America had ever produced, if he would 
study hard. Clarence dreamed of going 
to Europe and of coming back some day 
to play all over the United States. 

He started in to earn money with a 
will. Encouraged by Professor Williams, 
he raised ducks and chickens to sell. He 
became so deeply interested in his ducks 
and hens that he neglected to practise his 
violin lessons. This grieved his master, 
who was a true musician. It was so much 
pleasanter to play the little tunes that 
were running in his own mind than to 
practice stupid exercises, that he would 
play for hours the unwritten music in his 
own soul. 

“ Bah ! Bah ! ” bawled his master im- 
patiently, when he heard one of Clarence’s 
own compositions. “ This will be all very 
well ten years from now, when you know 
something and can write music ; but now 


In a New Home 


47 


you do not know the A B C of sound.” 
His master angrily pointed at a house be- 
ing built across the street, saying: “You 
want to put up a palace without any floor 
or walls. It would fall down pretty 
quickly. It would never go up ! ” he ex- 
claimed excitedly, waving his bow. “ You 
do not love your art. Shame ! Shame ! 
You will not work for it. I will not teach 
a boy so foolish as not to know the worth 
of study. Go home ! ” 

Clarence begged him to let him stay, 
and promised to work with all his might. 

“ Well ! Try the exercise again ! ” 
Clarence went over and over it until he 
played it perfectly. As the boy finished 
it, his master said : “If you always do as 
well as that, there is hope for you.” 

Clarence sighed as he trudged home. 
It was always exercises! exercises! In 
arithmetic, grammar, geography, Latin, he 
had to learn exercises. In his music, that 
he loved best of all, there seemed to be 


48 


Two of the Best 


more exercises than in any other study. 
He sat down on the roadside and listened 
enviously to the birds. They did not 
have to learn anything, he thought. 

With a joyous trill, a happy lark lighted 
on a fence near him. How like the exer- 
cise he was practising was the music that 
rippled from its throat ! The lark cocked 
its head at Clarence in a knowing way, 
and then flew up toward the sky, warbling 
gaily. Clarence listened, then laughed. 
The bird seemed to be repeating his name. 
Surely that merry carol was “ Whittleby / 
Whittleby ! Whittleby / ” He caught up 
his bow to answer the challenge of the 
blithe songster. It was a jolly duet. 
“ Whittleby ! Whittleby ! Whittleby ! ” 
whistled the jocund bird. “ Whittleby ! 
Whittleby ! Whittleby ! ” mocked Clar- 
ence on his violin, until the trills of the 
lark were like far-away echoes from cloud- 
land. He dropped his bow. His arms 
and fingers ached. Fast as he had tried, 


In a New Home 


49 


he could not keep up with the bird, nor 
play the quick little run with ease. The 
very exercises he was hating would give 
him the dexterity he needed. All of a 
sudden, he understood the purpose of 
them. He felt glad. He had a reason 
for practising them now. He resolved to 
master every one of them as soon as he 
possibly could. He walked home with 
lighter step and happier heart. Some day, 
when he could make his bow go and his 
fingers fly as quickly as he wished, he 
would write a piece. It would be full of 
trills. He would call it “The Lark.” 

When all went well through the day, 
Professor Williams and Clarence spent 
very happy evenings together. The boy 
would play tunes he knew well, or the 
music that was haunting his brain. Often 
the Professor would tell him stories, or 
have long talks with him that were more 
interesting than stories. 

Instead of coming out that evening, 


50 


Two of the Best 


Clarence stayed in his room for some time 
diligently practising his exercises. Pro- 
fessor Williams had heard from the music- 
master of the boy’s neglect of his lessons. 
He was keenly disappointed and sat 
gravely thinking how he could help the 
boy to understand why he should study, 
when Clarence came out with his violin un- 
der his arm. He went up to Professor Will- 
iams, affectionately calling him “ Daddy,” 
as he often did when he had something 
special to say. The Professor put his 
arm around the lad and drew him down 
beside him. Before he could say any- 
thing, Clarence told him what had been 
said at his lesson that morning and what 
he had promised his music-master. He 
took up his violin and repeated his duet 
with the lark, much to Professor Wil 
liams’s delight. 

“You see, Daddy, the lark told me 
why I ought to practise,” said Clarence, 
laughing. 


In a New Home 


5i 


“ Bless the lark ! ” murmured the Pro- 
fessor, patting Clarence on the head, “and 
bless the boy who could take a lesson 
from a bird ! ” 

Before they parted for the night, Clar- 
ence asked the Professor if he could bring 
his schoolmates up to the observatory on 
the morrow to see the great telescope. 
He had been telling the boys of it. They 
had not thought it wonderful until Clar- 
ence told them it was. 

That the last polishing of the large lens 
of the telescope had been done with a 
man’s thumb, Clarence could scarcely be- 
lieve. The boys did not believe it either, 
until Professor Williams showed them a 
picture of the most celebrated telescope- 
maker at work in his factory at Cambridge. 
This skilful man rubbed with the fleshy 
part of his thumb the great glass disk that 
looked like a huge saucer, for weeks, and 
sometimes for months. Professor Wil- 
liams explained what patient, delicate work 


52 


Two of the Best 


this was, and with what care it had to be 
done. The smallest speck of dust on the 
surface would make the light of the stars 
asquint, and if the polishing removed too 
many particles of glass the lens would be 
spoiled. When it is finished, no one is al- 
lowed to touch it, even with the tip of his 
finger. When it is packed, it is balanced 
by the rim, so that nothing whatever can 
come in contact with it. 

“ The first lens sent here was broken,” 
said Clarence. “ It was made in the rough 
in Paris and then sent way over the ocean 
to America, to Cambridge, where it was 
finished. Then it was packed and brought 
across the big continent and up this high 
mountain as carefully as if it were a bub- 
ble a breath might break, and when it was 
being put up here,” said Clarence, in a 
solemn tone, “ it cracked.” 

The telescope looked more like a gigan- 
tic cigar than anything else, and the boys 
did not think it wonderful until Professor 


In a New Home 


53 


Williams let them all look through it at 
the evening star, that was just rising. 
The star seemed so big and near, it scared 
some of the boys. Clarence was glad. 
“ Now, you ’ll believe all I told you about 
the telescope, won’t you ? ” he demanded. 
“ Don’t you think it is the greatest thing 
there is ?” 

Some of the boys thought it was ; but 
Jim Gray declared “ it was nothing to a 
big engine, which was a hundred times 
more use.” 

Nothing pleased Jim better than to 
make Clarence angry. Professor Will- 
iams prevented a quarrel as they went 
down the mountain by telling the boys 
how a poor spectacle-maker stumbled on 
the secret of the telescope. 

Hardly a day passed that Clarence did 
not hear something interesting. The 
world seemed an enchanted place. The 
tales of the Arabian Nights did not 
seem as wonderful as the facts told by 


54 


Two of the Best 


men of science. Clarence turned some 
of their stories into tune. The making 
and finishing of this magnificent glass that 
found out the secrets of the stars was like 
music to him. He surprised Professor 
Williams one night by playing “ The Story 
of the Telescope.” There was a curious 
little rotatory movement that told of the 
polishing, polishing, polishing of the great 
glass. A scarcely audible sound of the 
bow stealthily creeping over the strings 
represented the careful way the disk was 
handled, and a jubilant strain expressed 
the joy felt when at last the telescope was 
ready to sweep the heavens at the Lick 
Observatory. 

“ Bravo ! bravo ! little man,” shouted 
Professor Williams when Clarence had 
finished. This composition became a 
favorite of the Professor, who asked 
Clarence to play it for his friends, espe- 
cially the astronomers, some of whom 
gave Clarence new ideas to translate into 


In a New Home 


55 

music. One jolly astronomer seized 
Clarences bow and violin and played a 
whirling, galloping movement. The notes 
followed one another faster than rain- 
drops in a wild storm. “ That ’s the way 
the stars dance when you look through a 
faulty lens,” he gaily explained. “ They 
look like rainbow-colored snowflakes whirl- 
ing in the wind. Be sure you polish, 
polish well,” he said, as he handed Clar- 
ence the violin, and, to the boy’s happy 
surprise, he hummed the rhythmic move- 
ment, keeping time revolving his hand. 

The boys often came to the cottage to 
hear Clarence play. They liked “ The 
Story of the Telescope,” but asked more 
frequently to hear the imitation of the 
lark’s song. This they said was “great,” 
until one evening Clarence played them a 
piece he called “ The Whistles.” 

“ Here ’s Ben’s,” he said, playing on his 
violin a clear, full whistle. “ This is 
Tim’s, and this Ed’s, and here ’s Billy’s,” 


5 ^ 


Two of the Best 


and to the wild joy of the group he imi- 
tated all their calls when they came into 
the yard and whistled for him to come 
out. 

“ Whose is this ? ” Clarence asked, as 
he finished with a gentle, bird-like note. 

“Yours ! yours!” shouted the boys in 
a chorus. 




CHAPTER VI 


THE FIGHT 


LARENCE, although a gentle, shy 



boy, was very popular at school. 
The boys enjoyed his music and the 
stories he told. He had a kind way 
of doing and saying things, and was ready 
to help another in his lessons and share 
his luncheon with a hungry mate. All 
the boys liked him except Jim Gray. 
Jim had always made the smaller boys do 
what he wished them to. He was the 
leader in all the games. Clarence avoided 
him and would not obey his orders. Jim 
was jealous of Clarence. He did not 
enjoy seeing a small, gentle chap have 
such a following among the boys. That 
who did not fight, play football, or 

57 


one 


58 


Two of the Best 



race 
should 
be any 
kind of a 
leader did not 
seem right to Jim 
Gray. He made fun 

DCAT 

of Clarences stories and 
laughed at his music, especially 
“The Story of the Telescope.” He 
called him a “fiddling fool,” a “sis,” and 
a “ Miss Nancy.” Clarence was too much 
occupied with his music, his chickens, and 
his own affairs to mind what such a boy 
as Jim Gray said. The boys began to 
think Clarence was a coward, and that he 
was afraid of Jim. 


The Fight 


59 


One day all the boys went blackberry- 
ing. They climbed a hill, and when they 
reached the top they saw near them a 
big wild-cat framed in the green boughs 
of a vine-wreathed tree. 

Jim Gray shouted, “ Lion ! Tiger ! Hy- 
ena!” and started to run. He knocked 
over a small boy as he rushed down the 
hill. The little fellow was so frightened 
he could not move. While Jim Gray 
fled down the hill, going so fast his tin 
pail whirled like a wheel, Clarence went 
back to help the poor little chap, who was 
crying pitifully. Clarence caught him 
up and scampered after the boys. They 
thought a boy who would do that was 
not so much of a coward after all. Jim 
Gray, forgetting that he was the first to 
run, said that there was nothing to be 
afraid of, — that the cat was scared and ran 
the other way. The boys laughed at 
him, and dared him to go back to see 
where the cat had gone. After this, it 


6o 


Two of the Best 


was plain to see that the boys liked Clar- 
ence more and Jim less. 

One day Jim made a slighting remark 
about Professor Williams. Clarence 
sprang upon him and tripped him up and 
jumped on him before Jim could do any- 
thing. He had been longing to whip 
Clarence, and as soon as he saw who had 
hit him he gave Clarence a terrible blow, 
knocking him down, and before he could 
get up he struck him again, sending him 
to the ground with a bleeding nose. 

It was an uneven match, Jim was so 
much larger and stronger than Clarence, 
and had been in many a fight. This was 
the first time Clarence had fought. He 
determined to stick to it until he died. 
He sprang up, bruised and bleeding, and 
made a lunge at Jim, who easily knocked 
his hand up and struck him under the 
jaw. Clarence fell as if dead. 

No one interfered. The boys were 
afraid of Jim. He shook his fist at Clar- 


The Fight 


61 


ence, saying: “You ’ll fight me, will 
you ? Say, have you had enough ? ” Sud- 
denly, a quick crack under the chin 
knocked Jim down. He did not know 
what hit him. The blow was swift, strong, 
and sure. He sat up holding his jaw with 
both hands, and glared at the boys. He 
sprang up to attack Clarence, and his 
hand was knocked back as if struck by a 
club. He saw a strange boy with his 
brows drawn down over a pair of shining 
black eyes. His fists were doubled up. 

“ If you dare to touch him again I ’ll 
knock you out of your skin quicker than 
you can breathe ! ” shouted the strange 
boy, shaking his fist in Jim’s face. “ I ’ll 
finish you in a minute. Coward ! Fight 
a fellow your own size,” he said, as he 
turned to take care of Clarence, who had 
fainted. 

Clarence soon opened his eyes. He 
looked in a dazed way at the strange boy. 
His face lighted up. “ Rowdy ! Rowdy ” ! 


62 


Two of the Best 


he cried, joyously. “ I ’m so glad you ’ve 
come. I ’ve been looking for you all the 
time,” and he sank back in a faint again. 

“ Get some water, some of you fellers, 
quick ! ” said Rowdy. “ ’Tend to him. I 
must do this duffer up.” He ran toward 
Jim, saying: “Come on. If you want 
to fight, now ’s your chance.” Jim stood 
irresolute for a minute. His jaw ached ; 
his wrist seemed broken, it had had such 
a hard blow. He measured Rowdy, and, 
to his everlasting disgrace, he turned on 
his heels and ran as fast as, if not faster 
than he did down the hill when he saw 
the wild-cat. 

Clarence soon recovered from his faint. 
He was battered and bruised, but he was 
too happy to care. He told Rowdy what 
made him try to fight. “ Wish I ’d known 
it ; I ’d done him up. I ’ll make him take 
back what he said, first chance I get.” 

Rowdy was the admiration of all the 
boys — except Jim. They did not know 


The Fight 


63 


his name, where he came from, nor where 
he was going ; but they were ready to fol- 
low him. When Clarence told them he ’d 
come to stay with them they hurrahed 
with delight. 

“ I see the finish of Jim Gray,” chuckled 
little Harry Smith. Harry loved his 
books better than boxing ; Tut he wished 
that day that he had known how to hit 
and had been strong enough to do it. 




CHAPTER VII 

TALKING THINGS OVER 

“ T ET ’S go meet Professor,” cried Clar- 
^ ence, dragging Rowdy up the 
steep road to the observatory. 

Professor Williams gave Rowdy a 
hearty greeting, saying : “ I am glad to see 
you, my son.” Rowdy’s heart was cheered. 
The world seemed suddenly changed from 
a cold desert, upon which he was hunted by 
cruel men, to a cosy, warm place. He was 
gladder than he could tell them that they 
had welcomed him so kindly. It was like 
coming to a real home just to be with 
them. 

They went down toward the house, 
the boys turning and walking backward 
64 


Talking Things Over 65 

in their excitement when telling the Pro- 
fessor of the fight. 

There was so much to talk over they 
could scarcely eat their supper. Their 
mouths were so full of words and laughter, 
that they were in danger of choking. 

“ How did you like the minstrels ? ” 
queried Clarence. 

“Not at all,” emphatically answered 
Rowdy. “ I did n’t dance nor sing once. 
Had to do chores for everybody, and get 
kicking and cuffing instead of pay. I 
did n’t get coin enough to buy a good 
square meal. I left the show as soon as 
we got back to San Francisco. 

“ One night, when I was pretty hungry, 
I was on the corner of Montgomery Street 
and Market, and I heard a Mexican I 
knew hollering : ‘ Hot corn and tamales ! 
Hot corn and tamales ! ’ 

“ Got a spoiled one you ’d give a feller ? ” 
I asked. “ He ’d heard about our ship- 
wreck, and he gave me a good one to tell 


66 


Two of the Best 


him about it. I told him about the min- 
strels, too. He was a good old chap. 
Nothing would do but I must stay with 
him that night up in the Mexican quarter.” 

“ Were n’t you afraid?” asked Clarence 
who remembered an old Apache Indian 
who lived with the tamale- and tortilla- 
makers. He divined that Clarence was 
afraid of him, and whenever he saw the boy 
the old chief would give a fierce war-cry. 

“ What was there to be afraid of ? ” 
asked Rowdy. Before Clarence could 
reply, Professor Williams remarked with 
some interest, “ Where is the Mexican 
quarter ? ” 

“Up toward Telegraph Hill, between 
Broadway, Vallejo, Dupont, and Kearney 
Streets,” answered Rowdy, pleased to get 
Professor Williams’s direct attention. 

“ It ’s an awful dirty place, and the Mex- 
ican men and women are crowded together 
thicker than feathers on a bird,” volun- 
teered Clarence. 


Talking Things Over 67 

“ Oh, you ’ve been there ! ” exclaimed 
Rowdy. 

“ Once,” answered Clarence, shuddering. 
“ I could n’t help going in one day. A 
dreadful Indian scared me so, I ran down 
Hinckley Alley when I saw him. He 
came down Pinkney Alley to the very same 
place I was in, and I was afraid he would 
scalp me.” 

“ Poor old Storm Cloud ! he would n’t 
hurt a cat,” laughed Rowdy, who had 
made friends with the chief as he did 
with everybody else. Frederico wanted 
me to learn to make tamales and tor- 
tillas. I tried to, but could n’t stand 
it” 

“Where do they make them?” asked 
Professor Williams. 

“In the dark, dirty old basements,” 
explained Rowdy. “ Some of the women 
get up at three o’clock in the morning and 
work until awful late at night. They 
have a rough stone, that looks like a little 


68 


Two of the Best 


black bath-tub, into which they put the 
boiled corn. They take a stone bat about 
a foot long in both, hands and rub the 
corn as a washlady washes.” 

“ Washlady ! ” laughed Clarence, whose 
father had taught him to speak correctly 
from his babyhood. 

“Well, washerwoman, if you under- 
stand it better,” snapped Rowdy 

“ Go on with your story,” insisted Pro- 
fessor Williams. 

“Well, she grinds and grinds until she 
gets it fine. Then she makes it into a 
round cake and puts it on a piece of sheet- 
iron and bakes it until it is brown.” 

“ What do they sell for ? ” asked the 
Professor. 

“ Five for five cents,” answered Rowdy. 

“ A great deal of work for a little 
money,” mused Professor Williams. 

“ You bet it is ! ” said Rowdy, with feel- 
ing, recalling a day he tried to grind. His 
hands ached for a week afterward, 


Talking Things Over 69 

“ It don ’t cost much,” continued Rowdy. 
“ They don ’t even put salt in them, and they 
don’t cook them on a stove, but just on 
bricks with coals between them. They 
put the sheet-iron on the bricks. Frederico 
thought I could learn to make tamales and 
tortillas to sell, as he did. I did try one 
day to spread the corn-husks with the corn 
paste ; but it was so dirty there I could n’t 
stand it. It makes me sick to think of 
eating one again.” 

“ They must have been pretty bad,” 
drowsily commented Clarence. 

Rowdy ignored Clarence’s remark and 
put his hand on Professor Williams’s knee, 
saying, as he looked at him gratefully and 
trustfully : “You know, somehow after our 
being shipwrecked together, and your sav- 
ing us, it seems as if we are relations. I 
felt as if I must come to you ; so I came,’> 
he added half shyly, a new state of feeling 
for Rowdy. 

Professor Williams’s fine face beamed 


7o 


Two of the Best 


with pleasure. “ That was right,” he said, 
heartily. “ Now you ’re here with us, 
you ’d better stay. We will take him into 
our firm, if he is willing to put in our sort 
of capital, won’t we, Clarence?” 

“ Indeed we will,” said Clarence warmly. 

‘‘I think I’d like to be in any sort of 
deal with you and the Parson,” answered 
Rowdy, calling Clarence the old nickname 
he had given him on the steamer. 

“ We ’ll talk it over in the morning,” said 
Professor Williams, as he bade the boys 
good-night. 

Such a home-coming Rowdy had never 
had in his life. It stirred his heart with 
a strange feeling. He did not tell Clar- 
ence and the Professor what a hard time 
he had had after he failed to learn to 
make tortillas and tamales. He did not 
like to think of what he had been tempted 
to do. He trembled as he remembered 
what a chase the policemen of Geary 
Street had given him. 


Talking Things Over 71 

As he took out the old locket his eyes, 
which rarely filled with tears except angry 
ones, now were wet as he looked at the 
lovely face that smiled so tenderly and 
brightly back at him. Perhaps if she had 
lived they might have had a home as cosy 
and sweet as this. As he hung up the 
locket the face of Frederico’s mother came 
before him. She was so kind and so 
smiling, with her great crystal earrings 
shaking like the pendants of a chandelier 
when she wagged her head, that she was 
a pleasant picture to recall. Her poor 
little rooms, opening on one of the many 
balconies in the Mexican quarter, were the 
cleanest there. She made the tortillas 
that Frederico sold. “ What a lucky fel- 
low Frederico is, to have such a good 
home and such a good mother ! ” thought 
Rowdy, as he drifted off to sleep. 



CHAPTER VIII 

ROWDY JOINS THE FIRM 

HPHE boys were up early next morning. 

Clarence fed his chickens and milked 
his cow with the manner of a successful 
owner, proud of his possessions. Some 
of the roosters crowed as if they knew 
they were expeeted to show off and were 
glad to do it. Rowdy had never been in 
the country before, and was as much in- 
terested in everything as Clarence could 
have wished him to be. 

Later in the day, Professor Williams 
and the boys had a long talk. Rowdy 
learned that Clarence had the privilege of 
raising all the chickens he could. He 
paid for the opportunity by furnishing 
enough for the table. He sold the eggs, 
72 


Rowdy Joins the Firm 73 

reserving a certain number every week for 
their own use. He had one customer for 
milk. The money he thus obtained paid 
for his lessons and new sheets of music. 
He earned his board and clothes by doing 
errands for Professor Williams, who was 
liberal in his rewards. It was arranged 

o 

that Rowdy should help Professor Wil- 
liams in the laboratory and up at the ob- 
servatory. He went in with Clarence on 
a business basis. At first he was to give 
his labor instead of money or produce for 
his share of the profits. That he must 
go to school was the one thing in the con- 
tract that Rowdy did not enjoy. It was 
with much unwillingness he finally con- 
sented to go with Clarence. 

“ When Professor talks to you, you 
can’t help seeing things his way,” Rowdy 
confided to Clarence. “ He introduced 
me to that inventor you write letters for. 
Professor says he ’s a smart man, but he 
has a hard time getting on because he 


74 


Two of the Best 


has so little education. When Professor 
got through talking to me I felt I ’d be 
like an old plug horse trying to race with 
thoroughbreds if I did not get my mind 
trained by some studying. It ’s going to 
be tough ; perhaps I can ’t stand it.” 

“Yes, you can; I ’ll help you; so will 
Daddy. I know how you feel. I felt 
something like that myself. You see, 
Rowdy,” continued Clarence, “ you can- 
not be a member of our firm if you don’t 
go to school ; so just make up your mind 
that you are going to like it, and that will 
help you, I know.” 

It all sounded so well, and it all began 
delightfully ; but Rowdy — whose life had 
been irregular, and who had never been 
taught that even the tiniest and ugliest 
weed took time to grow and advance 
with order and method — had many vex- 
ing experiences that caused him and 
others distress and annoyance. 

He helped Clarence gather the eggs. 


Rowdy Joins the Firm 


75 


There were two old hens that wanted to 
sit. Clarence did not wish them to. He 
dipped one in a bucket of cold water. 
After this treatment, the old hen was con- 
tent to roam around with the other chick- 
ens. Rowdy was to catch the other sitting- 
hen and give her a little wetting. He 
plunged her into a deep trough of water 
and held her under so long she drowned. 
Besides being a careless act, unworthy of 
a kind-hearted boy, it was a serious loss 
to Clarence, who had so few hens he could 
not afford to lose any. It grieved him 
sorely. His chickens were not only 
money-makers for him, but his pets. 
He missed the old hen’s friendly clucks. 

“ What ’s the use of making such a fuss 
over an old hen ? ” asked Rowdy, impa- 
tiently. 

“ If you ’d ’tended to them and got the 
money for the eggs they lay as long as I 
have you would understand,” gravely re- 
marked Clarence. 


76 


Two of the Best 


When they spoke to the Professor about 
it, he said: “ It is a business matter and 
must be settled on business principles. 
Rowdy should pay for the hen or buy an- 
other at the end of the month from his 
share in the profits.” 

“ If there will be any profits,” mourn- 
fully murmured Clarence. 

They decided that Rowdy should have 
nothing to do with the chickens, but should 
take full charge of the cows. There were 
two. He thought this work would be fun. 
He enjoyed his first few trips out into the 
fields, but he soon grew tired of going, 
and many a time he went after the patient 
beasts in an ugly mood. He wasted the 
milk trying to see how far he could send 
it afield, instead of into the pail as he 
milked, and he teased the good old dog 
that followed him out into the barnyard 
by hosing its face with milk. He forgot 
to take proper care of his charges at night. 

The Professor kept a strict account, and 


Rowdy Joins the Firm 


77 


at the end of the month there was no 
money for Rowdy. There had been but 
little more than enough milk for the 
family. Rowdy was angry when he 
learned he would receive nothing. There 
was not enough to pay for the loss of 
the hen. 

Clarence was alarmed. The waste of 
the milk, the loss of the hen, and the 
thoughtless treatment of the cows made 
him feel that Rowdy was a hindrance, in- 
stead of the help he had hoped he would 
be. He had thought that he and Rowdy 
could keep more ducks and chickens, and 
make more money. This month there 
was loss instead of gain, and the outlook 
was not hopeful. He and Rowdy quar- 
relled. Clarence had a reason for making 
money ; he wanted to go to Europe and 
study the violin. 

Professor Williams helped Clarence 
understand that they must be patient with 
Rowdy. He was a boy who had never 


78 


Two of the Best 


been accountable for anything in his life. 
He had not even had the foresight of 
a thrifty squirrel, that gathers nuts for 
winter time, nor the responsibility of a 
bird, that picks up twigs, straws, and 
threads to build its nest. “ Everybody is 
the better for having some responsibility 
in this world,” concluded Professor Wil- 
liams. 

“ The more quickly Rowdy gets some, 
the better for us, anyway,” answered Clar- 
ence, with a fretful laugh. “ It is not the 
square thing to do as he does.” 

“ No, it is not ; and he will see it for him- 
self,” hopefully answered Professor Wil- 
liams, as he went out to talk with Rowdy. 

Rowdy, as usual, was blaming every- 
body but himself for his trouble. To his 
disgrace, he vented his ill-temper on the 
first person or thing that came in his way. 
He called Clarence insulting names, 
teased Bridget, and when he went to milk 
he jerked and kicked the gentle old cow. 


Rowdy Joins the Firm 


79 


“ Shame ! Shame ! ” thundered a voice 
behind him. It was the Professor. Rowdy 
had never heard him speak in that ringing 
tone before. Professor Williams strode 
up to him and lifted him by the collar, 
higher and quicker than he had ever been 
lifted in his life, and brought him down in 
front of him and, looking him squarely in 
the eyes, said sternly : 

“ Are n’t you attacking the wrong 
beast ? ” 

Rowdy flushed. The Professor was 
not looking at him in anger, but in sur- 
prise and sorrow. “ I — I don’t know,” 
gasped the boy, his ready insolence utterly 
failing him. 

“ Why did you kick the cow ? ” asked the 
Professor. 

Rowdy started to say sullenly : “ Because 
I wanted to ” ; but the clear eyes of the 
Professor searching his face were so full 
of pity that Rowdy hung his head. He 
did not know why, but he felt as if he 


8o 


Two of the Best 


would like to crawl away somewhere and 
hide. 

“ Son, tell me, what beast should you 
have kicked ? ” asked the Professor. 

Rowdy did not answer. The two cows 
were quietly chewing their cud in content. 
“ General,” the Irish setter, was looking 
questioningly up first into one face and 
then into the other, as if he, too, were ask- 
ing the same question. A happy frog 
croaked a guttural bass solo, to which 
countless other frogs chirped a chorus. 
Bridget was crooning an Irish melody to 
the rattle of dishwashing. Clarence was 
playing one of tne cheeriest of his exercises 
up in his room at the top of the house. 
There was no wild beast in this peaceful, 
home-like scene. Rowdy dug the toe of his 
boot into the ground, twisting it nervously. 

“ Do n’t you know, son ? ” asked the Pro- 
fessor, gravely. 

“ The beast ’s in me, I guess,” whispered 
Rowdy, shamefacedly. 


Rowdy Joins the Firm 81 

“ When you finish milking I would like 
to have you walk up to the observatory 
with me,” remarked Professor Williams, 
as he turned to go. 

Rowdy and the Professor had what Clar- 
ence called “ the biggest kind of a talk.” 

Rowdy could not tell how it happened, 
but he saw himself as he really was for the 
first time in his life. He saw how shabby, 
mean, and low he looked, kicking the inof- 
fensive cow. He saw that, instead of con- 
trolling his temper, he was so weak as to 
allow it to control him. It was like a 
trigger managing a gun. Like an engine 
without a throttle-valve. Like a boiler 
wrecking a steamship. Rowdy, who had 
felt so smart and had boasted so many 
times of the number of boys he had licked, 
suddenly saw himself driven like a slave 
or a coward by a force within him that he 
had power to control and direct, as surely 
as the governor on an engine regulates the 
steam, if he would only try. 


82 


Two of the Best 


A vision of his father, of the Meads, and 
of some of the Market Street boys, always 
scolding, striking, swearing, and acting 
without thought, came before him. As 
he recalled them, Rowdy looked at Pro- 
fessor Williams. He seemed to belong 
to a different race and a different world 
from such men and women. Thinking 
aloud, he said impulsively : “Daddy, God 
must be like you. You are so different 
from ” 

The Professor put his hand on Rowdy’s 
head in that tender, protecting way he 
had, saying: “ No, my son ; I am just like 
every other man. If I seem a bit differ- 
ent it is because by a long, hard struggle 
I have learned to master myself. I was 
the boy in the story I told you a few 
moments ago.” 

The story Professor Williams referred 
to was the one that helped Rowdy to 
see himself, and to understand to what 
his lack of self-control and ill-temper 


Rowdy Joins the Firm 83 

might lead. “Oh! Daddy!” exclaimed 
Rowdy, “ then you know all about it. 
How hard it is ! ” 

“ Indeed I do,” answered the Professor, 
kindly ; “ and so does many another. 
Read what one man wrote thousands of 
years ago.” 

Rowdy took the slip of paper and read : 
“ He that is slow to anger is better than 
the mighty , and he that ruleth his spirit 
than he that taketh a city.” 

“ That taketh a city,” repeated Pro- 
fessor Williams. “ Think of that ! ” 

“ The feller that said that knew what 
he was talking about,” commented Rowdy, 
cheerfully. 

Rowdy’s heart was light as he walked 
down the hill with his face lifted skyward. 
The Professor was telling him the names 
of certain stars. 

“You will apologize like a man to 
Clarence, I know,” remarked Professor 
Williams as they neared the house. 


Two of the Best 


Rowdy’s face clouded. “ Must I knuckle 
to the Parson ? ” he asked, resentfully. 
His temper was rising at the first provo- 
cation, — at such a slight provocation, too. 

Professor Williams flung his arm over 
Rowdy’s shoulder, whispering sympatheti- 
cally : “ Count twenty.” 

Rowdy began, then stopped, his face 
a-grin. “ Three ’s enough, Daddy ; the 
throttle-valve ’s on,” confided Rowdy, with 
a waggish nod. “ I ’ll fix it with the Par- 
son. He ’s all right and has been white 
to me, I know.” 

“In regard to your business contract 
and your treatment of the cows — I have 
your word as a gentleman, and a gentle- 
man’s word is as good as his bond,” said 
the Professor, seriously. “ Give me your 
hand.” 

Rowdy clasped his hand with both his 
own, saying : “ Daddy, I ’ll try to do my 
best. I will,” and as he looked up at the 
Professor his face was startlingly like the 


Rowdy Joins the Firm 85 

one in his old locket. The same honest 
eyes, with a smile in them to match the 
one on the lips, beamed upon the Pro 
fessor. 




CHAPTER IX 

ROWDY WANTS TO LEARN 

DOWDY proved as good as his word. 
A ' He neither neglected nor maltreated 
the cows. He found two new customers 
for milk. At the end of the month he 
reaped the benefit of his faithful care and 
industry in a neat little sum of money. 
He was so happy when the accounts were 
made up that he forgot what a hard 
month it had been. In some ways, it had 
been the hardest of his life. He had 
never tried to control his temper before 
nor live in an orderly way, respecting the 
rights of other people. A wild pony in 
harness could not have felt more uncom- 
fortable than Rowdy did at first. Many 
times Professor Williams had to warn him 


86 


Rowdy Wants to Learn 87 

with friendly concern to “ Count twenty.” 
Clarence forgot to be patient, and he and 
Rowdy had several quarrels, which but for 
Professor Williams’s wise counsels would 
not have ended peacefully. 

Rowdy’s teacher knew nothing of his 
undisciplined life, and thought him an idle, 
stupid, impudent boy. He liked history 
and geography and did fairly well in the 
sciences ; but he was deficient in mathe- 
matics, bad in spelling, and a poor reader. 
He left school in a rage one day, deter- 
mined never to go back again. Professor 
Williams had a long talk with the teacher 
which gave her a better understanding of 
Rowdy. He was induced to return to 
school. She took more interest in him 
and he improved. But his best, most 
patient, most understanding and inspiring 
teacher was the Professor, who helped him 
with his lessons until he was able to master 
them alone. 

He soon became anxious to learn. The 


88 


Two of the Best 

friends who dined with Professor Williams 
knew a great deal, and they were still 
studying something. The astronomers 
talked of the stars with the enthusiasm of 
boys discussing baseball. 

H is classmates knew more than he did. 
Some of them were preparing for college, 
and had distinguished themselves in their 
studies. He did not feel as clever among 
them as he did among the Market Street 
boys. To them his travels and his knowl- 
edge of certain ways of the world seemed 
wonderful. He could fight better than 
most of them, and led them easily. 

The boys in San Mateo County were 
just as good fellows as his comrades in 
San Francisco. They could wrestle, race, 
and play baseball as well as, if not better 
than he could. Many of them had been 
to Europe with their fathers and mothers. 
Because he had been in a shipwreck dis- 
tinguished him somewhat ; but Clarence 
shared in the glory of that. On the field 


Rowdy Wants to Learn 


he felt he could match any of them, but 
in school and in their homes he felt de- 
feated and ill at ease. They were cleaner, 
more gently-mannered than his old chums 
in Market Street. They treated their 
mothers with great respect. The boy he 
liked best rose to his feet the instant his 
mother appeared, as if she were a queen. 
He sprang up to give her his chair and 
seemed glad to wait on her. Rowdy had 
never seen boys do such things before. 
Clarence was something like them, but 
Rowdy had thought it was just the Par- 
son’s own way of doing things, because he 
played the violin and did not like field 
sports like other boys. But Alfred Dey, 
one of the heaviest kickers on the football 
team, was the one who treated his mother 
as if there were nobody in the world as nice 
as she was. She was kinder to Rowdy 
than any other woman he had ever met. 
He liked her immensely, and tried to be- 
have in her presence in the politest way 


9 o 


Two of the Best 


he knew how. He had jeered at Clarence 
for cleaning his nails and being so careful as 
to wear fresh collars and brush his clothes. 
After he had been to Alfred Dey’s house 
a few times, and shaken hands with his 
beautiful mother, Rowdy stopped making 
fun of Clarence, and very slyly began to 
keep himself and his clothes cleaner. 

The Deys’ house seemed a palace to 
Rowdy, and Mrs Dey a real queen. The 
room with books in it from floor to ceiling 
looked to Rowdy larger than the whole free 
library, yet it was as cozy and homelike 
as the Professor’s own little den. The boys 
with Alfred Dey sat around the great fire- 
place after dinner, telling stories and play- 
ing dominoes and other games in as happy 
freedom as if they were out in the fields. 

Such a magnificent dinner-table Rowdy 
had never seen. It scarcely seemed real, 
with its shining silver, pretty china, snowy 
linen, and vases of flowers. His napkin 
was so fine and large he could not manage 


Rowdy Wants to Learn 91 

it. He had never seen a napkin until he 
sat at the table of the first-cabin passengers 
with his father. At Professor Williams’s 
they had simple ones, which he had just 
learned to use with ease. The butler, who 
was so stiff and so grave, and who passed 
the food so solemnly, made Rowdy so un- 
comfortable that when he went to help 
himself to potatoes he put them on the 
beautiful clean table-cloth instead of on 
his plate. Nobody but the butler seemed 
to notice it, and Rowdy was so hungry 
that when he took his first mouthful, he 
started in to eat like a happy hunter, for- 
getting his confusion and the butler, too. 

Mrs. Dey laughed at the jokes of the 
boys, listened with delight to their stories, 
asked about their games, and seemed inter- 
ested in everything they were doing and 
going to do. Rowdy had never seen a 
woman so beautiful nor dressed so pret- 
tily. She always looked as if she were 
going to a party. 


9 * 


Two of the Best 


When Rowdy was going home, Mrs. 
Dey nodded good-night to him from the 
window so kindly and so smilingly that he 
suddenly thought of Frederico’s old 
mother on her little balcony in the Mex- 
ican quarter. Yet this beautiful woman, 
in her dainty dress and great house, 
seemed in another world from that of the 
old tortilla-maker. 

Both of them were true and tender 
mothers and loved and understood boys, 
and, although Rowdy did not know it, that 
was the reason the same light shone in 
their faces, making them seem at first 
glance as much alike as two stars. 

Clarence fitted into this life easily and 
naturally. Not only Mrs. Dey, but all 
the ladies seemed to approve of him. His 
music and his gentle ways made friends 
for him among the women here just as 
they did among those in the steerage. 
But even Clarence, after he played in 
the grand music-room at Mrs. Dey’s, felt 


Rowdy Wants to Learn 93 

as Rowdy did, that he had been in a new 
world. 

Rowdy sometimes felt as if he were 
a new boy. He was learning so many 
strange things, the world looked very dif- 
ferent from what it had in the ‘dirty, little 
street in which he lived with the Meads in 
San Francisco. It seemed to be getting 
bigger, more beautiful, and more wonder- 
ful. Even the country around them seemed 
new since a painter, who was one of Pro- 
fessor Williams’s friends, stayed ten days 
with them. He made the world seem a 
great picture-book. Even the two cows 
and the old barn were a picture. He 
painted them and the cottages with Rowdy 
and Clarence in the garden, and old 
“ General,” the Irish setter, on the porch. 
He painted trees and hills and little val- 
leys, which the boys did not know they 
looked at every day, until the artist made 
a picture of them. It was the view from 
the front windows of the cottage. They 


94 


Two of the Best 


did not know what a beautiful part of the 
world they lived in until the artist came. 
He was always finding something to praise. 
Now, it was the shape of Mt. Hamilton 
against the clear sky, or the sunshine on 
the trees, or the shadows on the hills, or 
the fruit farms and vegetable gardens in 
the lovely Santa Clara Valley, or the 
prune orchards, which in full bloom 
looked like masses of snowy clouds. 

Rowdy was more anxious than ever to 
learn all he could after his walks and talks 
with the artist, whom he thoroughly liked 
and enjoyed. But what made Rowdy, 
more than anything else, want to get on 
at school, was that he had heard of a boy 
who had to work for his living, yet was 
studying at nights to keep up with some 
boys he knew who were in college. 
Eugene Sands was the boy. He was 
only a few years older than Rowdy and 
Clarence. He was employed in one of 
the prune orchards down in the valley. 


Rowdy Wants to Learn 95 

Professor Williams and Mrs. Dey were 
very much interested in him. Mrs. Dey 
had offered to pay for his college course. 
Eugene could not accept the favor. He 
had to help his mother support his small 
brothers and sisters. Many of the people 
who came to see Professor Williams knew 
Eugene and said he was a fine fellow. 
“ He ’ll amount to something,” said one 
of the astronomers. “ A boy that will 
work and study as hard as he does has 
the right stuff in him. I ’d be willing to 
wager that he would stand higher in the 
final examinations, if he were allowed to 
pass them, than the fellows with whom 
he is keeping up.” Many of the others 
thought so, too. 

Mrs. Dey said she would be glad to 
buy his books for him, if he would let 
her. Eugene thanked her, and told her 
Professor Williams lent him all the books 
he needed. Mrs. Dey’s face lighted with 
a smile of understanding. She drove up 


96 


Two of the Best 


to the cottage and hailed Professor Wil- 
liams : “ Will you give me a list of the 

books Eugene will need for this year?” 

“ Certainly,” answered the Professor. 

“ Eugene would not accept my gift, so 
I could not ask him. He said you lent 
him all the books he needed. The proud 
boy does not dream you buy the books 
for him. Knowing your kindness and 
tact, I guessed the beautiful secret. Let 
me have the pleasure of doing something 
for the brave boy. The books will be a 
birthday present. He need never know 
who sent them. You see, we are all learn- 
ing your happy way of doing things,” said 
Mrs. Dey. 

Rowdy heard so much of Eugene Sands 
that he wanted to see him. Professor 
Williams took him down to the prune 
orchard one day. Eugene was hard at 
work digging around the trees. He had 
on old brown overalls, a calico shirt, and 
a straw hat, which he pushed on the back 


Rowdy Wants to Learn 97 

of his head, showing his broad, fine brow. 
His face shone with pleasure when he saw 
the Professor, who had helped him in his 
studies several times. 

When talking to Rowdy about his 
studies, he said : “You see, I wanted to 
go to college more than I ever wanted 
anything in my life. My best friends in 
my class in the high school were going ; 
but I had to work. My father ’s dead, 
and I am the only man in the family. I 
said to myself, when I saw the fellows go- 
ing to college, I ’ll keep up with them if it 
takes a leg. A good friend of mine gives 
me the list of books, and I ’ve just 
marched along with them, and in some- 
things I like I get ahead of them.” He 
chuckled to himself a bit, and turning to 
the Professor said : “ A fellow came 

down to my house last night to see what 
I ’d made of this Greek sentence,” and 
Eugene quoted a line from the Iliad. 
“ By the way, Professor,” said Eugene, 


9 8 


Two of the Best 


“ I do not need your Homer; I received 
more books than I shall use for a year, on 
my birthday. They came like sunshine, 
without a sign or sound where from ; but 
I can guess,” he said, with a happy laugh, 
looking toward the beautiful home of 
Mrs. Dey. 

Rowdy’s heart seemed on fire as they 
walked home. He thought Eugene a 
splendid chap. Even Alfred Dey, of whom 
Rowdy was very fond, seemed to shrink 
beside this persevering, hard-working boy, 
who made learning seem a precious thing, 
worth striving to get. Eugene — so 
bravely and doggedly working at his 
books at night after a long day of labor 
in the prune orchard, and keeping up with, 
and doing better sometimes, than rich 
boys who had nothing at all to do but 
have fun and study — seemed a hero to 
Rowdy. He felt in his heart that Eugene 
would be a great man. He may be Presi- 
dent, thought Rowdy. 


Rowdy Wants to Learn 99 

Rowdy took hold of the Professor’s 
hand as they went up the hill, and said : 
“ Daddy, do you think I could ever know 
enough to go to college?” 

“ Yes, son ; I have been preparing you 
for it. You have read more Latin with me 
now than any of your classmates have at 
school.” 

“ I ’m going to be a civil engineer, 
Daddy,” said Rowdy, excitedly. “ I ought 
to know something to be that, oughtn’t I ? ” 

“ Indeed you should,” answered the 
Professor with emphasis. 

Rowdy then asked how much money 
was needed to go through college. When 
the Professor told him, he said : “Well, I 
must earn some more money. Wish we 
had more chickens. ” After a pause, he 
asked, “ Do you suppose Mr. Knight 
would let me work in his hop-yard at 
Pleasanton during vacation ?” 

“You might write and ask him,” said 
the Professor, encouragingly. 


LofG. 


IOO 


Two of the Best 


When Clarence heard what Rowdy 
was going to do, he wished to join him. 
They both wrote to Mr. Knight. He had 
one of the largest, if not the largest, hop- 
field in the world. As the season is short 
when the blossoms are at their best, Mr. 
Knight needed an army of pickers. He 
wrote that he would be glad to give the 
boys work. Professor Williams told them 
how to protect their faces and arms from 
the nettle-like fuzz on the stalks that 
poisons some hop-pickers. 

There were not two happier boys in all 
Christendom than Rowdy and Clarence the 
morning they set out for the great hop- 
fields of Pleasanton. 




CLARENCE LOSES 
A CHANCE 

T HE boys had 

a pleasant v the -hop 
and profitable summer. After the hop sea- 
son was over, they enjoyed two weeks of 
camping in the Santa Cruz Mountains. 
Hop-picking had been more like play than 
work. They saved almost all of the 

IOI 


CHAPTER X 


102 


Two of the Best 


money they had earned. One day Profes- 
sor Williams went with them to put it into 
a savings-bank in San Jose. The boys 
were scared when they first went in, 
everybody was so business-like and grave. 
When they received their bank-books they 
felt happier — and very important. It 
seemed to Rowdy that he owned part of 
the big building, and Clarence felt as if 
he had suddenly grown rich. 

Rowdy wanted to earn and save money 
to pay his expenses through college. Sav- 
ing money was a novel experience for him. 
As with every new thing, he was very eager 
to do it at first. He hunted diligently for 
eggs, and said over and over again to 
“ Whitefoot,” the pretty little heifer : 
“When will you give milk ? ” “ Whitefoot ” 
simply looked trustfully at him through 
the bars of the gate, and putting her nose 
in his hand, licked it. She could not know 
that she was expected to help such a 
smart boy as Rowdy through college. 


Clarence Loses a Chance 103 

Clarence, who hoped to go to Europe 
to study, wanted money even more than 
Rowdy. It was not so hard for Clarence 
to save money as it was for Rowdy. 
Clarence’s father had begun very early to 
train him to be prudent. He gave him a 
certain sum of money at the beginning of 
every week, out of which he was to pay 
his car-fare, and buy little things that he 
might need. At the end of the week his 
father would ask him how much he had 
saved. Whatever it was, he would put it 
away for him. Occasionally, when Clar- 
ence would wish, he could get a musical 
box, a top, or a book, or take a ride on 
the ponies in Golden Gate Park, his father 
would give him some of his savings. 

He did not wish his son to be stingy, 
and encouraged him to share his pleasures 
with his friends. One day Clarence bought 
some ginger-cakes made in the shape of 
animals. He and some other little boys 
on the street became so much interested 


104 Two of the Best 

in seeing how many ginger-bread bears 
they could swallow, that Clarence spent 
all his money before he knew it. He had 
not any to pay for what he wanted during 
the week. When his father learned he had 
not saved a penny and was in debt, he 
talked to Clarence so wisely that the child 
understood, better than most men do, that 
a man who spends all he has or all he 
makes can never be his own master, and 
may become a beggar or a tramp. This 
talk, and the fact that he had to spend 
very carefully the next week to pay his 
debts, made a deep impression upon 
Clarence. 

His father had made him feel so keenly 
that it was not respectable nor manly to 
spend without thought, that Clarence had 
a queer little feeling of foolishness and 
shame whenever he thought of the ginger- 
bread cookies. Professor Williams never 
had to remind Clarence to save money, 
but he had to encourage him to earn it, 


Clarence Loses a Chance 


105 

for Clarence was so lazy, shy, and sensitive 
that several times he lost opportunities to 
add to his funds in the bank. 

He heard of a pianist who wished a 
boy to play with him in his studio on Sat- 
urday afternoons and occasionally in the 
evenings at receptions. Clarence wanted 
the Professor to get it for him ; but Pro- 
fessor Williams insisted that he should 
seek for it himself. 

Clarence went one afternoon with trem- 
bling heart to see the pianist. He rang the 
door-bell timidly, and waited what seemed 
to him a very long time before he had the 
courage to ring it again. He felt foolishly 
glad when the Chinaman who answered 
the door told him Professor Goldberg was 
not at home. He did have courage enough 
to ask when he would be. “About six 
o’clock this evening,” was the answer. 
Clarence did not go that evening. It was 
a long walk to Professor Goldberg’s house. 
He hoped his teacher would tell the pianist 


io6 


Two of the Best 


about him and that the pianist would 
come and ask him to play with him. But 
his teacher had a large family and a num- 
ber of pupils, and even if he had been so 
foolish as to do another man’s work for 
him when that man was able to do it him- 
self, he had not the time. 

Another boy wanted the place. He 
rang the bell soon after Clarence had. He 
received the same answer. He was back 
sitting on the steps at six o’clock, sharp. 
The pianist could not see him for half an 
hour, but the boy cheerfully waited on the 
steps. He sat there nearly an hour. The 
pianist was surprised to see him when he 
opened the door to let a pupil out. He 
asked the boy to come in. He played 
well enough to suit the needs of the pian- 
ist, who engaged him. Clarence timidly 
went up the next afternoon. He did not 
like to tell the Professor he had only tried 
once. The pianist knew of his work, and 
told him if he had seen him first he could 


Clarence Loses a Chance 


107 


have had the place, but that he had en- 
gaged Thomas Wheaton the evening 
before. 

Clarence knew Tom Wheaton, and he 
also knew that Tom could not play as well 
as he could. He was filled with resent- 
ment when he thought that Tom had the 
place. 

When Professor Williams learned he 
had not gone back in the evening he in- 
sisted upon knowing why. 

Clarence squirmed and hesitated and 
said, lamely : 

“ I was too tired.” 

“ Did you work hard that day ? ” asked 
the Professor. 

“ No,” muttered Clarence. 

“ Ah ! ” said the Professor ; “ you were 
only lazy.” 

Clarence reddened. He did not like to 
be thought lazy. 

“ I was ashamed to go again, he said. 

“What were you ashamed of ? Were 


io8 


Two of the Best 


you so ashamed of the talent that God has 
given you that you would not ask a place 
for it ? ” questioned the Professor. 

“ No-o,” answered Clarence, somewhat 
puzzled and surprised at what the Pro- 
fessor said ; “ I — I did not think of my 
playing. I — I — ” 

“What did you think of?” demanded 
the Professor. 

“ I — I thought how awful it was to have 
to go and ask that man.” 

“ So you went like a beggar. Weren’t 
you willing to work for what he would 
give you ? ” asked Professor Williams, 
gravely. 

“ Course I was,” replied Clarence, with 
some spirit. 

“ Ah ! I understand,” said the Pro- 
fessor. “ You were ashamed of your 
work. You did not think it worth what 
Professor Goldberg would pay you for it.” 

“ No ; I was not ashamed of my work,” 
retorted Clarence, quickly. “I — I was 


Clarence Loses a Chance 109 

afraid to ask that man. I was afraid he 
would say ‘No.’ I hate to ask strangers 
for things.” 

Professor Williams looked at Clarence 
for some time. Clarence grew more and 
more uncomfortable. “ It was the vain 
coward in you that you were thinking of ; 
not the beautiful gift that God had given 
you to use as best you can. You were 
too proud to ask a chance for it. You 
were afraid of the little word, ‘ No.’ Is it 
not right you should lose the place ? ” 
asked the Professor. 

“ I can play better than Wheaton,” 
whined Clarence. 

“ Wheaton walked three miles twice 
that day to get it. He had no low pride, 
neither was he lazy nor afraid. He went 
without his supper. He plays well enough 
to suit Professor Goldberg. You may 
play better than Wheaton, and you may 
be more original, but he earned the place 
and he is a hard worker, and he will get 


i io Two of the Best 

on,” concluded Professor Williams. He 
walked up and down the room for a few 
minutes, and then went over to Clarence 
and put his great hand on the boy’s head 
in the old, loving way : “ We must master 

that vain, lazy coward in you, son. You 
will be left behind in the race of life by 
boys who have not a tenth of your talent, 
simply because you will not work, and 
because you are too timid and too much 
afraid of the little word, ‘ No.’ ” 

Clarence’s eyes filled with tears. He 
was a sensitive boy, and it hurt him to 
grieve any one he loved, and he loved 
Professor Williams dearly. He knew the 
Professor was right. “It’s awful to be 
as bashful as I am,” sighed Clarence. 

“ It is worse to be lazy and vain,” 
promptly replied Professor Williams. 
“ ‘ The slothful man saith , There is a lion 
in the way ; a lion in the streets .’ He will 
always be sure to have some excuse.” 

Clarence flushed. He disliked above 


Clarence Loses a Chance 


1 1 1 


all things to be thought lazy and vain. He 
felt as if the Professor had touched him 
with the end of a whip when he said, ironi- 
cally, “ There is a lion in the way ; a lion 
is in the streets .” 

“ Learn these, son. They are more en- 
couraging,” said the Professor, giving him 
a piece of paper from his note-book, on 
which he had written : 

“ The soul of the sluggard desireth and 
hath nothing ; but the soul of the diligent 
shall be made fat.” 

“ The hand of the diligent shall bear 
rule ; but the slothful shall be under 
tribute.” 

“ Seeth thou a man diligent in his busi- 
ness , he shall stand before kings ; he shall 
not stand before mean men.” 

“ Ponder these, son, and if you do not 
understand them, tell me.” 

Clarence said, softly : “ I understand, 
Daddy. Give me another chance. I ought 
to be diligent, if any boy should, after all 


I 12 


Two of the Best 


you have done for me.” He straightened 
himself up and said, bravely : “ I know I ’ve 
been a shame-faced, lazy coward many a 
time, but I ’ll try from this hour not to be 
so again — for your sake, Daddy, as well 
as my own. Daddy, I ’ 11 make you proud 
of me some day,” added Clarence, smiling 
through his tears. 

“ I know you will, dear boy,” said Pro- 
fessor Williams, kindly. “ A mans gift 
maketh room for him and bringeth him 
before great men,” he quoted, putting his 
arm over Clarence’s shoulder. 

Rowdy, who had just entered the room, 
overheard the Professor’s remark, and 
said : “ That ’s so. Guess the Parson will 
play before all the kings and queens there 
are. Heard his teacher telling Mrs. Dey 
he would be a great violinist, if he would 
only study harder.” 




CHAPTER XI 


ROWDY GETS INTO TROUBLE 

HE autumn and winter passed rapidly. 



1 Each of the boys had difficulty in 
mastering his weakness. Clarence heard 
many times the cry of the slothful man : 
“ There is a lion in the way ; there is a lion 
in the streets /” for Professor Williams 
repeated it whenever he saw him showing 
a lack of self-confidence and courage. 
When Rowdy mockingly shouted, “ There 
is a lion in the streets it was more than 
Clarence could endure, and he tried to 
give him very little opportunity to say it. 
He nerved himself to declaim or recite a 
new piece at school ; or enter a new game, 
or look for a chance to play his violin in 
churches or in drawing-rooms, without 


Two of the Best 


1 14 

showing that he felt afraid. He gained 
strength every time he made himself do a 
new thing without fear, and developed his 
courage in a way that benefitted himself 
and pleased Professor Williams. 

Rowdy’s quick temper and daring 
selfishness, that never counted the cost 
to others or himself of his impulsive acts, 
came very nearly making serious trouble. 
Professor Williams, like a good pilot, was 
always on hand to help Rowdy steer him- 
self aright. Clarence, not to be outdone, 
hunted up some sayings to fit Rowdy’s 
tempers. Much to his unrighteous glee, he 
found two that he thought would do when, 
as he said, “ Rowdy flew up for nothing.” 

“ k A fools wrath is presently known ; ’ 

‘ He that is soon angry , dealeth foolishly ,’ ” 
sang out Clarence one day, when Rowdy 
was in an ill temper, and as usual was 
making himself and others uncomfortable. 
Professor Williams’s reminder that “He 
that is slow to anger is better than the 


Rowdy Gets into Trouble 115 

mighty ,” quickened Rowdy’s self-respect ; 
but Clarence’s references to his quick 
temper only enraged him more, and for 
the first time since they had been to- 
gether he and Clarence came to blows. 
Professor Williams parted them. In his 
presence they felt disgraced and humil- 
iated by their foolish fight. 

One afternoon in the spring, Clarence 
was to play at a musical at Mrs. Dey’s, 
for which he was to be well paid. He 
was practising hard and felt nervous. 
Rowdy dressed first and went ahead of 
him. 

When Clarence started to get ready 
he found that Rowdy had taken his best 
shirt and his only nice necktie. He took 
the neatest of the shirts left, but had no tie 
he would wear. Rowdy had none that 
was worth looking at. Clarence went to 
Mrs. Dey’s home angry and agitated. He 
looked for Rowdy, who was gaily chatting 
with Alfred Dey, some other boys, and a 


Two of the Best 


1 16 

pretty little girl named Margery Bell, who 
was so bright, sensible, and kind, that all 
the boys liked her. Clarence marched up 
to Rowdy and, to the astonishment of the 
group, demanded his necktie in a manner 
and tone that showed he meant to have 
it. “It was n’t fair and square to take 
my necktie and shirt when I have to stand 
up before people and play,” he said, mak- 
ing a grab for the tie. Before Rowdy 
thought, he struck Clarence, and before 
either of the boys realized what they were 
doing they were fighting. Alfred Dey 
begged them to stop. He said they must 
stop. His mother would not allow such 
conduct in her music-room or in her 
house. She came in to see what was the 
trouble. Her look of astonishment was 
painful for Rowdy to see, and it abashed 
Clarence, who mumbled an apology, ex- 
plaining he had only wanted his necktie 
that Rowdy had taken. Mrs. Dey asked 
her son to take Clarence to his room and 


Rowdy Gets into Trouble 117 

give him his choicest tie and then to bring 
him to her in the library. She was wait- 
ing for them when they came down, and 
she talked to Clarence so kindly and so 
pleasantly that he soon felt calm and at 
ease. She told him he must do his best 
for Professor Williams’s sake, and for his 
teacher’s, and for his own and her sake. 

“You have a big contract to fill, old 
fellow,” said Alfred, slapping him on the 
back, “ and while you are playing you ’d 
better make your bow dance for my sake.” 

Clarence played so well he was recalled 
again and again, and when he was through, 
boys and girls and men and women 
crowded around him to tell him how 
pleased they were with his music. No 
one noticed Rowdy. Mrs. Dey did not 
seem to know he was there. Margery 
Bell had not looked at him since the fight. 
She talked to Clarence a long while about 
his violin, which he let her hold for a few 
minutes. 


Two of the Best 


Rowdy knew that it was a thoughtless 
and selfish act to take Clarence’s wearing 
apparel, and he knew he would have done 
to Clarence just what Clarence had done 
to him, — even worse — yet his heart was 
filled with resentment against Clarence, 
and he blamed him for spoiling his after- 
noon as he sullenly walked home by him- 
self. 

Just before dinner, as he was going 
through the sitting-room, he saw Clarence’s 
violin on a little table. The sight of it 
made him still angrier. He jerked out his 
jack-knife and cut the strings with a twang. 
He would have ruined the violin had not 
Professor Williams sprung up and caught 
his hand. The Professor had been lying 
on a couch when Rowdy came in, but 
Rowdy had not seen him. Rowdy was 
frightened. Professor Williams marched 
him up to his room. “ Do not come down 
to dinner,” he commanded. 

Soon Rowdy heard the pleasant clatter 


Rowdy Gets into Trouble 11Q 

of spoons and dishes and bits of cheery 
talk. A friend of Professor Williams, 
who was a well-known botanist, was dining 
with him. He was urging Professor Wil- 
liams to go to the Philippines with him, 
saying : “ The largest flower in the world 
has been discovered there. It measures 
three feet across. I ’ll treat you to a new 
specimen of rock, plant, and reptile every 
day, if you ’ll come.” 

Professor Williams said he could not 
leave his work nor his boys, and that Cali- 
fornia had enough strange and rare speci- 
mens in rocks, ore, and flowers to interest 
him for years to come. 

His friend grumbled after dinner on the 
porch. Rowdy could hear all he said. 
“ Those boys do not appreciate their luck,” 
protested the botanist. “ Why should one 
of the foremost astronomers and scientists 
waste time, thought, and money on two 
unknown cubs like these ?” 

“ You can ’t find me any specimens as 


120 


Two of the Best 


interesting as my two boys. I enjoy 
and love them,” answered Professor 
Williams. 

Rowdy’s face softened and he mur- 
mured: “ Dear old Daddy ! There’s only 
one of his kind.” His face darkened as he 
heard the botanist say: “ That young black- 
eyed imp will end in hanging. He ex- 
plodes like a bad cartridge. He has a 
demon of a temper. He acted in a most 
disgraceful manner at Mrs. Dey’s this 
afternoon,” and the botanist proceeded to 
tell all he had heard of the boys’ fight. It 
had been told to him by two or three of 
the boys and girls, and the story had 
grown. It was said that Rowdy not only 
took Clarence’s shirt and necktie, but his 
trousers and boots. “ That tow-headed 
dreamer plays remarkably well. He may 
amount to something if he has energy and 
courage. He ’s old enough to do for 
himself. Many a boy a great deal younger 
does. Let them both paddle their own 


Rowdy Gets into Trouble 


121 


canoes, and you join our expedition. 
We ’ll be gone two years.” 

Professor Williams changed the subject 
by asking the botanist about his work. 
When Clarence came he told him to take 
his friend for a walk and let him look 
down upon the acres and acres of prune 
blossoms, soft and feathery as the breast 
of a swan and beautiful as snow-drifts. 
They are one of the sights of California. 

When they were gone, Professor Wil- 
liams went up to Rowdy’s room. He had 
the violin in his hand. “ I do not wish 
Clarence to know that you tried to de- 
stroy his violin. You know how he loves 
it. I do not wish him to know that you 
are capable of doing such a dastardly 
thing as you did this afternoon. Come 
with me to Professor Goldberg. We will 
have to trouble him to mend what you 
have done.” 

They walked along in silence until 
they drew near Professor Goldberg’s 


122 


Two of the Best 


home. Rowdy carried the violin. “ If 
you are man enough, I wish you to go in 
and tell Professor Goldberg what you did, 
and ask him if he will fix it, and tell him 
that you will pay for it.” 

Like all quick-tempered persons, Rowdy 
was full of remorse after his rage had 
spent itself. He now was sincerely sorry 
for what he had done ; but he did not wish 
to face Professor Goldberg. He hesi- 
tated. He had a wild impulse to run 
away ; but he stood as if chained to the 
doorstep. Professor Williams stood wait- 
ing. He looked like a noble general — 
kind, grim, and invincible. “ Better than 
the mighty” flashed through Rowdy’s 
mind. He tossed back his head in the 
old, spirited way, and his voice had a tri- 
umphant ring when he said : “ I am man 

enough, Daddy. I will tell Professor 
Goldberg just what a beast I was, and I ’ll 
pay him twice over for fixing it.” He 
walked up the steps and rang the bell 


Rowdy Gets into Trouble 123 

with a strong, quick pull that made it re- 
sound. “ I wish to see Professor Gold- 
berg,” he said, nearly striding over the 
Chinaman who opened the door, in his 
eagerness to get to the music-master. 

Professor Goldberg was full of praises 
of Clarence. He felt so proud of him he 
could not talk fast enough to tell all he 
hoped for him. He was horrified to learn 
what Rowdy had done. He recoiled from 
Rowdy as if he were something offensive 
to look upon. “Very wicked! Very 
bad ! ” repeated Professor Goldberg over 
and over again. Rowdy felt uncomfort- 
able. The fine feelings that Professor 
Williams had awakened in his heart 
seemed to have vanished. When Profes- 
sor Williams appeared, a few words from 
him induced Professor Goldberg to fix the 
violin. He would not do it for Rowdy. 
“ It was like murder,” he declared. “ It 
was a fine violin. It was something 
precious.” He was glad that his dear 


124 


Two of the Best 


Clarence would never know how it had 
been treated. 

Rowdy felt his disgrace keenly as he 
walked home. Professor Williams did 
not speak to him. He was thinking pro- 
foundly, and seemed to have forgotten 
Rowdy’s presence. 

Rowdy walked into the house and put 
the violin where he had found it, and then 
he went out and wandered down the road 
by himself. He thought he would run 
away, and never come back. He felt sick 
at heart, and sat down on the log of a 
tree before he had gone very far. It was 
as if he were held by a net as fine and 
light as cobwebs, but as strong as wire. 
Professor Williams had made life seem so 
different to him from what it was in San 
Francisco. He had been kinder to him 
than any one he knew. He loved the 
Professor. Rowdy knew from experience 
that to be half-starved, with no regular 
place to sleep and everybody treating you 


Rowdy Gets into Trouble 125 

as if you were a tramp, was not as happy 
a life as some boys seemed to think it 
was. There was Alfred Dey, full of fun, 
always doing friendly things and planning 
good times for the boys. What boy was 
like him ? There was Mrs. Dey. He 
knew just how pained and astonished 
she would look when she heard he had 
run away. There was Eugene Sands. 
Rowdy grew red in the face when he 
thought of him. Eugene would think 
him a contemptible worm of the dust, un- 
worthy of Professor Williams’s kindness. 
Whatever might happen, Rowdy decided 
that he could not be such a coward as to 
run away. 

Professor Williams found him sitting 
upon the log by the roadside, looking very 
dejected and forlorn. He asked Rowdy 
many questions, and before Rowdy knew 
it he felt as if he had been turned inside 
out. He saw that Clarence had done 
nothing whatever to him. It was his own 


Two of the Best 


1 26 

selfishness, anger, and jealousy that had 
caused his trouble and that of the others. 
He began to tremble, and wonder if Pro- 
fessor Williams were going to send him 
away. He had never seen the Professor 
so grave and stern and serious before. He 
made him feel he was unfit to meet Mrs. 
Dey or Alfred or Eugene Sands or 
Clarence again. 

“ Come with me,” he said, coldly. They 
went to the laboratory. Professor Wil- 
liams showed Rowdy his face in a glass 
that enlarged every feature. “ Look at 
yourself carefully,” commanded the Pro- 
fessor. “ Do you see the lines anger and 
jealousy and cowardice and selfishness 
have made on your face ? ” Rowdy could 
see that he looked ugly, but he did not 
answer. “ Think how many times you 
make your face look like that, and it could 
be like this,” and the Professor turned the 
glass upon a picture of Rowdy, taken the 
day he had put his money in the savings- 


Rowdy Gets into Trouble 127 

bank in San Jose. It was so handsome, 
kind, smiling, and spirited that Rowdy’s 
features changed as he looked at it. It 
seemed another boy. “ I hoped that face 
would grow finer, stronger, nobler, as the 
boy mastered his evil temper, his jealousy, 
and his heedless ways,” said Professor Wil- 
liams, solemnly. Rowdy walked sadly to 
the door. He stood there several minutes 
before Professor Williams called him back, 
and said : “ Son, you are a soldier making 
the hardest and best fight a man can 
make. I will parole you for a month, if 
you will promise on your honor to try in 
every way you can to control your temper 
and treat Clarence as a kind comrade 
should. If at the end of the month you 
have kept your word, we will march on to- 
gether. If you do not, there must be a 
change,” said the Professor, wearily. 

Rowdy thought of what the old botanist 
had said, and turned a face full of woe and 
anxiety toward the Professor. “ Don’t 


128 


Two of the Best 


give me up, Daddy ; I ’ll try as I never 
tried before,” he pleaded. 

The happy fellowship of Professor 
Williams and the boys was interrupted 
for a time. Professor Williams was kind 
to Rowdy, but his manner was more seri- 
ous toward him and his look when it was di- 
rected full upon him was more thoughtful 
and smileless. Rowdy saw he had wounded 
him deeply by his unmanly conduct, and 
felt abashed and sorrowful in his presence. 

Clarence was absorbed in his music, 
and since his success at Mrs. Dey’s musi- 
cal had had a number of opportunities to 
play at entertainments. 

Rowdy carried himself with the spirit 
of a loyal soldier. He studied hard, being 
stimulated by talks with Eugene Sands 
once a week. When he had apologized 
for his rude behavior to Mrs. Dey, she 
received him with her usual kindness, and 
after a while Rowdy felt at home again 
in the great house. 


Rowdy Gets into Trouble 


129 


The month passed before he knew it. 
He had made a brave and persistent effort 
to control his temper, and, as it was with 
Clarence, the oftener he mastered his 
weakness the more easily he conquered 
it. He was acquiring a habit of self-con- 
trol. On the first of the month he met 
Professor Williams coming down from the 
observatory. The Professor smiled upon 
him in the old genial way and put his arm 
over the boys shoulder. Rowdy looked 
up at him, his face radiant with gratitude 
and joy. The Professor drew him nearer 
to him, and Rowdy knew he had earned 
his forgiveness. 

9 




CHAPTER XII 

THE BUNCO-STEERER 

PROFESSOR WILLIAMS and the 
* boys spent the vacation time travelling 
through California, camping out when- 
ever they chanced to be. Bridget’s brother 
came down from San Francisco to take 
care of the chickens and cows, and Clar- 
ence and Rowdy felt as care-free as sum- 
mer birds. They frequently went for 
short trips into the Santa Clara moun- 
tains. These were joyous days for them. 
There were hunting and fishing for 
Rowdy, and botanizing and fishing for 
Clarence. 

In the foothills they found hundreds of 
cup-shaped flowers, from two to four inches 
across, marked with lines and dots that 


130 


The Bunco-Steerer 


131 

made the petals look like the wings of 
beautiful insects. “ They are Mariposas,” 
Professor Williams told Clarence. The 
name by which they were known to bot- 
anists “ would choke a fellow to death to 
say,” Rowdy declared, when he was told 
it was Calochortus. 

“ You can call them by their simplest 
name. They are known all over the 
world as ‘ butterfly-tulips,’ ” said the Pro- 
fessor, and he made Clarence’s eyes sparkle 
when he said that some day they would 
take a trip to El Dorado County, where 
they might see acres and acres of them, of 
so many colors that in the bright sunlight 
in the yellow-pine belt the fields looked 
as if rainbows had dropped into pieces 
from the sky, and turned into flowers as 
they fell on the grass. 

“No one knows of the wondrous lilies 
of California except the hunter, the bot- 
anist, and the geologist,” remarked Pro- 
fessor Williams. “ I ’ve seen the finest in 


132 


Two of the Best 


the world in the mountains where man 
rarely goes.” 

“ I bet that botanist who wanted you to 
leave us and go to the Philippines with 
him do n’t know what ’s worth seeing in 
California,” commented Rowdy, somewhat 
scornfully. Professor Williams looked up 
surprised. He did not know that Rowdy 
had overheard the conversation. Rowdy 
had told Clarence what the botanist had 
said, and they both hoped he would stay 
forever in the Philippines, or any other 
far-away place. 

On their way to Los Angeles they saw 
a field that looked aglow with live coals. 
“ See ! See the snapdragons, the bright, 
red snapdragons ! ” shouted Clarence, who 
delighted in beautiful colors almost as 
much as he did in beautiful sounds. He 
stopped to gather a bunch of these gay 
flowers. The Professor picked one to 
pieces and analyzed it with Clarence. Its 
botanical name was a long one, which 


The Bunco-Steerer 133 

Rowdy laughed at, as usual. Although 
he was not interested in botany, and did 
not care much for flowers, he was greatly 
impressed by the “ insect trap,” and lis- 
tened attentively to Professor Williams’s 
analysis of it. They found it when on 
one of the most glorious trips they had 
ever had, way up in the Northern Sierra 
Mountains. They stumbled on it one 
day while going through a boggy plao‘e. 
Professor Williams spied it first. “ Hello I 
A Darlingtonia ! ” he exclaimed, as if he 
were greeting an old friend. 

“ What a pretty name for such an ugly 
thing ! It makes me sick,” gasped 
Clarence. 

Rowdy got down to examine it. It 
grew in the mosses. It had a hood as 
bright as Red Riding Hood. In the 
hood was honey. Just below the honey 
patch were sharp hairs, pointing down- 
ward. The perfume of the flower and its 
gay color attracted roaming insects. 


134 


Two of the Best 


They flew in to taste the honey, when lo ! 
they began to slide, slide, slide, and, un- 
able to save themselves, went to their 
certain death at the bottom of the tube, 
which was full of water. The plant ab- 
sorbs its victims and grows upon them. 
Rowdy picked up one and turned over 
the hollow leaves, which were funnel- 
shaped tubes, topped off with the red 
hood. He looked down into the tube and 
saw the remains of several insects. “ It ’s 
more of an animal than a flower,” he said. 

“ It’s horrible,” shivered Clarence, who 
did not enjoy the idea of such a thing 
being a flower. 

“ There ’s many a trap in the world like 
it, sons, for the unwary who do not keep 
a sharp lookout where they are going and 
with whom they are dealing,” remarked 
Professor Williams. 

“ It ’s a bunco-steerer,” said Rowdy, 
laughing merrily. He was not at all 
affected as was Clarence with the uncanny 


The Bunco-Steerer 


135 


flower. “ That s what I shall call it, al- 
though Darlingtonia is a bully name for a 
bunco-steerer.” 

“ What ’s a bunco-steerer ? ” quizzed 
Clarence. “ I never heard of such a 
thing.” 

“ Oh ! you don ’t know any more than 
a girl,” answered Rowdy. “ I bet you ’d 
be taken in by the first bunco-steerer you 
met.” 

Clarence flushed, but before he could 
say anything Professor Williams said 
kindly : “ I am not so sure about that. 
Clarence has more reserve than vanity, 
and I know he has discernment enough 
to recognize a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” 

Rowdy was nettled. He knew he had 
vanity and not much reserve, and despite 
his boasting he ’d been so pleased with the 
flattering remarks of a flashily-dressed 
stranger, coming home from San Jose one 
evening, that he very nearly brought a 
robber into the house. He certainly told 


136 


Two of the Best 


him all he wanted to know of the neigh- 
borhood. He was discovered in the Dey’s 
library with all the silver and jewels he 
could find gathered together, to make 
away with them. 

Rowdy picked another “ insect-trap ” 
to pieces as he told Clarence the manners 
and methods of the class of men familiarly 
called bunco-steerers. 

“ That is a good name for the flower,” 
said Clarence, looking thoughtfully at the 
insect-trap. “ I think I shall know the 
specimen in whatever form I see it, 
whether as man or flower,” and he added, 
pointing to himself with his right hand as 
his eyes twinkled mischievously: “ Thanks 
to your superior knowledge of the world, 
Rowdy, this poor insect that knows no 
more than a girl won’t be taken in, — not 
even by a dashing San Jose robber, who 
might call me Billy in a very friendly tone 
and tell me he had heard what a right 
smart boy I was ; just the one to tell him 


The Bunco-Steerer 


137 


from whom he could buy a nice little 
country home.” 

Rowdy was vexed. It teased him to be 
reminded of his experience with the gen- 
tlemanly burglar. “ Shut up! ” he snapped. 
“You’re a bunco-steerer yourself. You 
knew what one was all the time as well 
as I did.” 

“ Not quite so well as you,” mocked 
Clarence. “ You have been buncoed, you 
see, and I have not.” 

On their way home, Professor Williams 
stopped in the Petrified Forest in Napa 
County. Rowdy was as deeply interested 
as Clarence was in the great stumps and 
huge logs of stone that had once been 
large and lofty trees. Professor Williams 
wished to learn, if possible, how long ago 
these monarchs of the forest had been 
petrified. He studied the soil and the 
rocks and the markings and the rings of 
the trees that were clearly discernible in 
the stone. 


Two of the Best 


138 

“It looks like a graveyard,” whispered 
Clarence, who was filled with awe and 
wonderment and felt as if he were in the 
presence of the dead as he looked at the 
fallen logs as cold and heavy as marble. 
Only a boy who loves trees as Clarence did, 
can understand how he felt. His favorite 
resting-place was under a big tree near the 
cottage. He would lie on the ground on 
his back, and look up at the sky through 
the interlaced leaves. Through the green 
branches of the tree the sky seemed very 
near. He amused Professor Williams 
one day by telling him that when he wished 
to get near to the far-off sky he crawled 
under a tree instead of climbing to its top. 
Professor Williams understood why Clar- 
ence looked so sad, and said; “Yes; a 
graveyard of trees.” Rowdy was not sad- 
dened by the sight, but filled with wonder 
and curiosity. 

That a tree so beautiful that it seemed 
never to grow old, but to be as fresh and 


The Bunco-Steerer 


139 


young every year as a flower just bloomed, 
should lie turned to stone on the ground 
seemed so unnatural and dreadful to Clar- 
ence that he urged Professor Williams to 
leave the Petrified Forest and not camp 
in it. 

Rowdy kicked the stone, took a piece 
to have polished, and would not have cared 
if they had stayed there a week. 



if&tn 




THE BIG 


CHAPTER XIII 


THE BIG TREES 


AFTER such a 
** pleasant vaca- 
tion, the boys worked 
with zest when they 
returned to school. 
The winter was a 
happy one for them 
all. Rowdy had 


140 


The Big Trees 


Hi 

gained in self-control and Clarence in 
courage. They both worked with a will 
and added not a little to their savings in 
the bank. Professor Williams was proud 
of his boys. He had believed in them 
through all sorts of failures and defeats, 
and they were justifying his faith in them 
by their manly acts and gentlemanly be- 
havior. They both loved him with an 
affection akin to reverence. 

When vacation came, they spent what 
Rowdy called “ a simply glorious month” 
among the big trees of Mariposa and 
Calaveras counties. 

Rowdy gave whoop after whoop when 
he saw them. Clarence could not speak. 
He could not find words to express his 
astonishment and admiration at their size 
and beauty. When Professor Williams 
told them that they were the largest, oldest, 
grandest trees in all the world, Clarence 
took off his hat and said : “ Daddy, I feel 
as if I ought to bow down before them.” 


142 


Two of the Best 


The Petrified Forest seemed nothing to 
this new wonder. There, the trees were 
dead ; but here they were alive, and big 
— so big they seemed like mighty towers 
with plumed steeples. The boys repeated 
their botanical name over and over again 
so that they could pronounce it easily. 
They are called “ Sequoia,” and Clarence 
half hummed the word, varying the accent 
until it seemed a little tune. 

“ Do they only grow here ? ” asked 
Clarence. 

“Yes; but hundreds of hundreds of 
years ago they also grew in the temperate 
zones of Europe and Asia. Their de- 
struction is one of the tragedies of nature,” 
said Professor Williams. 

“What happened to them?” eagerly 
asked the boys. 

“ An enemy silently stole down upon 
them, crushing them slowly to death,” 
answered the Professor solemnly. 

“ Tell us about it,” requested both boys 


The Big Trees 143 

at once, as they stretched themselves on 
the ground to hear the story. They knew 
it would sound like a story, even if it were 
simply facts, like the tale of the making of 
the telescope. 

“Well, thousands and thousands of 
years ago trees as mighty as these flour- 
ished in many places. They were of such 
grandeur in size and so majestic in height 
they looked as if they could withstand 
anything and endure forever, but one 
dreadful day the ice-fields from the north 
began slowly to encroach upon the ground 
upon which stood the trees, and they 
and all vegetation were threatened with 
destruction — ” 

“ Thus from high hills the torrents swift and strong 
Deluge whole fields, and sweep the trees along ” 

quoted Rowdy, much to Professor Will- 
iams’s surprise and pleasure, who said, 
“ Good boy ! you have your Greek at your 
tongue’s end.” 


44 


Two of the Best 


“ Pope’s translation of it, which is as 
easy as Mother Goose,” drawled Clarence. 

“You have n’t anybody’s translation,” 
snapped Rowdy. 

“ Except my own and Eugene Sands’s, 
which is about all I need,” retorted Clar- 
ence. 

“ You are not interested in the big trees, 
I see, ” remarked Professor Williams. 

“Yes, yes; we are,” both boys pro- 
tested. 

“ Well, they were swept along, Rowdy, 
not by torrents but by the destroying ice, 
which crept steadily onward. It killed 
the vegetation and many of the trees. 
Like some of the old fighting Greek 
heroes, full of pride and endurance, some 
of them stood for a long time, but one 
after another fell chilled to the heart. 
Their remains, buried in the ice, were lost. 
The only two species that withstood the 
onslaught of their deadly foe were the 
kingly Redwoods and majestic Sequoia — 


The Big Trees 


H5 


these big trees. Like dauntless warriors, 
they weathered and endured the invading 
ice. The Redwoods, high and fearless on 
the mountain range, defied death, and like 
an army stand from Southern Oregon to 
Monterey Bay. The big trees stand in 
groves on the west slope of these Sierra 
Nevada Mountains. They look like the 
remains of a proud battalion that stood 
close together to await with stout hearts 
and undrooping heads the invasion of a 
deadly and insidious foe.” 

“Great Jove with conquest crowned 
the Trojan band — ,” shouted Rowdy, 
springing to his feet. “ Daddy,” he said, 
his eyes shining and his voice ringing 
with excitement, “ I feel like the Parson. 

I must salute the conquerors.” He 
doffed his hat and knelt on one knee. 

“ I meant mine,” said Clarence, his eyes 
wet with tears. 

“ How do you know, old man, I don’t 
mean mine ?” asked Rowdy very quietly, 


146 


Two of the Best 


as he threw back his head and looked up 
at the monstrous trees. 

Professor Williams rose on his elbow 
and, sweeping the landscape with his hand, 
said : “ From the middle fork of the 
American River to the head of the Deer 
Creek, a distance of 260 miles, the big 
trees extend. There are only ten groups, 
in which are five hundred remarkable 
specimens. They had such fine quality 
they have come to us through many vicis- 
situdes of many centuries. Fine quality 
in man or tree counts,” concluded the 
Professor. 

“ Oh, Daddy, you ’re lecturing now,” 
playfully remarked Clarence. “Tell us 
more of them, as if they were live 
giants.” 

“Yes; as if you were Homer and 
they were the grand old Greeks,” said 
Rowdy, flinging his arms around the Pro- 
fessor. 

“ No,” said the Professor ; “ you ’d better 


The Big Trees 


H7 


learn what they can tell you themselves. 
See their bark is two feet thick.” 

“ Thicker than some whole trees ! ” 
exclaimed Rowdy. 

“ The very oldest specimens are sound 
at heart, and too fine for fungi,” continued 
the Professor. 

“ They ’re good stuff,” commented 
Rowdy. “ No old bum of a fungus can 
hang on them.” 

“ Bum of a fungus is good,” laughed 
Clarence. “ I understand it,” he added 
slyly, a twinkle in his kind, blue eyes. “ I 
know more of the world since we found 
the Darlingtonia.” 

“ Are you never going to let up on 
that ? ” impatiently queried Rowdy. 

“Think of it! No new trees have 
grown in all these centuries. They have 
just held their own,” said Professor Wil- 
liams, diverting the boys. 

“ How old are they ? ” asked Clarence. 

“ Five thousand, says John M 


148 


Two of the Best 


“Our geologist?” affectionately ques- 
tioned Clarence, who had never forgotten 
the delightful gentleman who lunched 
with them one day, and told them about 



feeding the birds from his own 

scanty crust on the most famous glacier 
of Alaska. The wild birds made friends 
with the gentle scientist as easily as boys 
did. Clarence was so much interested in 
what he said that day at luncheon that he 
had forgotten to eat. If there was one 
thing he wanted to see in the world it 


The Big Trees 149 

was the glacier in Alaska named for this 
man. 

“‘Our geologist’ says,” continued the 
Professor, smiling at Clarence, “that he 
never saw a big tree that had died a 
natural death. Barring accidents, they 
seemed to be immortal, and are exempt 
from all diseases that affect and kill other 
trees.” 

“ How do they know how old they are ? ” 
asked Rowdy. 

“ By their rings. The average growth 
is one inch of diameter for every twelve 
years.” 

“ I grow faster than a tree, but not so 
long,” sang Clarence. “ How can you 
see the rings ? ” he asked. 

“ Here, one of these was felled for a 
dancing-floor,” explained the Professor, 
speaking as if a life had been taken. “ It 
measured across the stump twenty-four 
feet inside the bark. That would make 
it 1300 years old. Another tree cut in 


Two of the Best 


150 

the Kings River forest was 4000 years 
old. Our geologist spent a day estimat- 
ing its age. He cleared away with an axe 
the charred surface and carefully counted 
the annual rings. He counted 4000.” 

“No other trees in the world have seen 
what the Sequoia has. If it could talk, 
what things it could tell us ! ” said Clarence. 

They spent a month among the big 
trees. “ The Grizzly Giant ” was Rowdy’s 
favorite. It was so scarred and worn it 
looked as if it had had to fight many a 
battle, not only with the elements, but 
with wild men and beasts. 

“The Mother of the Forest,” whose 
lofty branches stretched skyward more 
than three hundred feet, was best loved 
by Clarence. Near it lay the tallest Se- 
quoia that ever grew. It must have meas- 
ured at least four hundred feet, and was 
called the “ Father of the Forest.” It 
lay like some mighty hero slain in battle, 
faithfully watched over through all seasons 


The Big Trees 15 1 

by the grand old “ Mother of the Forest.” 
The circumference of the great tree was 
one hundred and ten feet. One day the 
boys rode on horseback through it sitting 
erect. They rode about thirty yards. A 
cool spring of water gurgled a welcome 
to them in the heart of the tree. Clar- 
ence was enchanted with the weirdness of 
the place and the music of the water. He 
was eager to get back into the open air to 
play the song of the tree as it was hum- 
ming in his mind. 

The boys had grown to love the grand 
old trees as if they were persons, and 
shared with the Professor his righteous 
anger when he saw the big tree called the 
“ Grand Hotel ” had been burned out so 
that only a shell was left. In a fearful 
rain-storm the boys took shelter in the 
“ Tree of Refuge.” Sixteen head of cattle 
were driven into it by a fierce storm one 
winter, and died of starvation under its 
sheltering branches. The boys spent a 


152 


Two of the Best 


few days in the famous tree called “ Smith’s 
cabin.” The Professor came upon them 
asleep one afternoon, lying across the 
entrance. He merrily shouted : “ Arise ! 
Breakfast ’s ready.” It was supper time, 
and the boys, waking from their sound 
sleep, were puzzled for a few minutes to 
tell whether it was night or morning, it 
was so dusky in the forest. They lay 
around the bonfire and talked very late 
that night. It was their last night in the 
forest. 




CHAPTER XIV 

THE FOOTBALL GAME 

HE next school year Rowdy had al- 



1 most more than he could do. Besides 
his work and his studies, he was practising 
for the football game, to be played by the 
teams of the San Jose Champions and the 
Stanford Juniors on Thanksgiving Day. 
Rowdy was one of the best players and 
heaviest kickers on the San Jose team. 
Clarence, who was as anxious as Rowdy 
for the San Jose boys to win, helped him 
at milking-time, and in every way he 
could so that he might have time to prac- 
tise. “ Whitefoot ” had grown to be a 
beautiful cow, and added to Rowdy’s work 
as well as his bank account. 

The day of the game seemed the most 


153 


154 


Two of the Best 


exciting in the lives of the boys. The 
perils of the shipwreck were as nothing to 
the hope and anxiety that expanded and 
contracted Rowdy’s heart. Clarence sym- 
pathized with him. He told Rowdy he 
was sure the San Jose boys would win, 
“and I bet you ’ll help them do it,” said 
Clarence, for the twentieth time. He had 
heard great tales of the play of the Stan- 
ford Juniors. Sometimes he would have 
moments of sad doubting ; but his faith 
did not falter, and he would cheer Rowdy 
by repeating he “was sure the San Jose 
boys would do something big.” 

The day of the game was gloriously 
fair. The San Jose boys played in a mas- 
terly way, but the odds were against 
them. Stanford was ten to San Jose’s six. 
They received a terrible hammering, and 
had gone down before the Stanfords like 
wheat before a scythe. Only two of the 
originals were left on the field ; substitutes 
were in line and also in the back field. 


The Football Game 


155 


There seemed no chance of making either 
a goal from the field or a touchdown, 
either of which would have been sufficient 
to win the game. Clarence was white with 
excitement. Man after man of the regular 
San Jose team had been hauled out and 
substitutes were in the line and back field 
alike. The courage of the “rooters” was 
waning. How bravely they had yelled. 
“ Root for poor old Dey. Ah ! Give 
one good yell to encourage the San Jose 
boy’s ! ” cried the leader of the “ rooters,” 
urging the boys on. They sounded like a 
huge chorus of frogs, they were so hoarse. 

It was a sad time for the San J ose eleven. 
Knox, Russell, and Henry, who were in- 
jured as they came from the field and could 
not play any more, stood crying like babies, 
refusing to retire. The San Joses took a 
sudden brace. Its rush-line seemed all at 
once to get its second wind, and plunged 
into the solid line of the Stanford in front 
of them, making Stanford yield ground a 


Two of the Best 


156 

little at a time, but enough finally to put 
the ball on Stanfords twenty-yard line. It 
was now do or die for the San Jose boys. 

Clarence’s heart gave a quick throb 
when he saw the captain call Rowdy. 
Miller shouted the mystic number, which, 
translated into English, meant : “ Protect 
Lowell for a try for goal from the field ! ” 
To reach goal from the thirty-five yard 
line seemed impossible to Clarence. Stitt 
juggled the ball for a second, then turned 
quickly and slipped back of the quar- 
ter-back and just in front of the backs. 
For a second Rowdy measured the dis- 
tance to, and the direction of, the goal- 
posts. He dropped the ball carefully, 
stooped, and then as lightly and as daintily 
as a dancer he lifted his foot and caught 
the ball squarely on the toe of his good 
right foot. In a wonderful curve, grace- 
ful, easy, and sure as an eagle, it mounted 
in the air. Clarence felt the roots of his 
hair crawl and his heart throbbed. He 


The Football Game 


157 


scarcely seemed to breathe — neither did 
the great crowd. It was as still as if dead, 
until the ball stopped its upward flight, 
and then, like a bird to its nest, it moved 
gracefully to the ground, and went directly 
between the goal-posts. Five points were 
added to the San Jose’s score, and the 
game was won. When the ball fell there 
was but half a minute left for play. Sub- 
stitutes, coaches, and old players rushed 
for Rowdy. He was hugged, kissed, and 
patted. His hands were wrung. He was 
the lion of the hour. The San Jose boys 
howled. The crowd yelled. It sounded 
as if a thousand engines were shrieking at 
once when it joined the boys in the 
locomotive cheer, — “ Sis! Boom ! Ah ! ” 
Robert Lowell had kicked himself into 
fame. His name would be telegraphed 
all over the United States, and football 
players in London and Paris would read 
of what he had done. The San Joses car- 
ried him home on their shoulders. Rowdy 


158 Two of the Best 

was beside himself with delight. His 
joy knew no bounds when he realized 
that he had saved the game. He was a 
hero. For a few days it seemed fine to 
be pointed out as “ the great kicker, 
Lowell,” and have the boys want to meet 
him and “ talk it over.” If it had not 
been for Professor Williams, Rowdy would 
have given up everything to play and talk 
football. The Professor, with his usual 
wise sympathy, had entered heartily into 
the spirit of the game and Rowdy’s 
triumph. He had encouraged his base- 
ball and football playing. The discipline 
of the game, was good for the impulsive 
boy, who had had so little of order and 
method in his life. 

Eugene Sands saw the game. He en- 
joyed it and Rowdy’s success immensely. 
It was merely a pleasant entertainment to 
Eugene, and Rowdy felt when he was 
with him that heavy kicking was not im- 
portant at all when compared with the 


The Football Game 


159 


triumphs of a studious, hard-working’ 
scholar. His talk with Eugene brought 
Rowdy back to the work-a-day world 
again. Eugene, digging away at his trees 
and his books, and achieving so much in 
his studies by himself, made Rowdy feel 
that football was but child’s play, and 
nothing to boast of among men of 
learning. 




CHAPTER XV 

THE STORY OF A STRANGE VALLEY 

IN the spring Professor Williams was 
* asked to join a prospecting party to 
the Panamint mines. As he wished to 
study the formation of the rocks in Inyo 
County he decided to go. Clarence, glad 
of any kind of an outing with the Profes- 
sor, begged to be allowed to accompany 
him. Rowdy said he was going, “ if he 
had to work his way.” “It is a strange 
land, boys, we are to see, and it may 
require all your patience and courage 
to endure the hardships we may en- 
counter.” 

“ Oh ! After the shipwreck, Daddy, do 
you doubt that we can stand anything ? ” 
asked Rowdy, putting his hands on the 

160 


The Story of a Strange Valley 161 

Professor s shoulders and looking up into 
his face in an aggrieved way. 

“Yes; it cannot be worse than the 
shipwreck,” echoed Clarence, “ nor the 
minute before Rowdy kicked the ball be- 
tween the goal-posts.” 

“ Some of the prospectors want to find 
the famous ‘ Gunsmith,’ ” explained the 
Professor. 

“ What ’s that ? ” asked Clarence. 

“ It is a spot where a silver mine is sup- 
posed to be. Everybody has heard the 
story,” said the Professor. 

“ ’Cept us,” corrected Rowdy. “ Tell 
us.” 

“ Please do,” urged Clarence. 

The Professor proceeded to tell the 
boys the harrowing tale of the Gun- 
smith Lead. 

“ When there were no railroads, peo- 
ple went across the continent from the 
East to California in huge wagons called 
‘prairie schooners,’ drawn by oxen.” 

XI 


162 


Two of the Best 



“ Oxen ! They didn’t want to get there 
in a hurry,” interrupted Rowdy. 

“ Oxen were the best animals to take, 
explained Professor Williams. “They 
could live better than any other animal 
on the grass that grew along the trail, and 
if they were killed in a skirmish with the 
Indians they could be eaten. 

“Mules or horses 
would n’t have 
been so good,” 
volunteered 
Clarence with a 
nod at Rowdy. 


Emigrants crosssnc 


ThE PLAINS. 


The Story of a Strange Valley 163 

“ These wagons stretched across the 
continent so near together that if I ’d 
gone on horseback I could have camped 
out every night with a different party. 
They were sometimes scarcely a day 
apart. 

“ One emigrant party wanted to get to 
California more quickly than any others 
ever had, so they took a trail toward the 
south from Salt Lake. They travelled 
comfortably for some days, but after they 
passed through Nevada the country began 
to get terribly rugged. The valleys were 
narrow, the mountains steep, sharp, and 
rocky, and the canons full of rubbish, 
brought there by tornadoes and cloud- 
bursts. They had to throw things away 
every day to lighten their load. They 
followed up a torrent bed between two 
peaks on Funeral Mountain, and found 
themselves, when they reached the sum- 
mit, overlooking a deep valley so narrow 
it seemed an alley between two jagged 


164 


Two of the Best 


mountain walls. They thought they saw 
a river winding through the centre of the 
valley. It was a salt marsh, that in the 
glare of the sunlight looked like a cool 
stream. After they had lowered the 
wagons, parties went off to search for 
water. Some of them never came back, 
and neither the cattle, the. babies, nor 
the men and women had anything to 
drink. The misery was fearful. The 
cattle bawled, the children cried, the 
women groaned and prayed, and the men 
cursed. The heat was so intense that 
they became delirious and wandered 
away. Only a dozen of the thirty in 
the party ever reached the Panamints. 
One man came to the mines long 
after the others. He had stumbled on a 
spring of water which saved his life. He 
stayed near it until he gained strength 
enough to go on. He broke off a piece 
of rock near the spring and put it in his 
pocket for a memento. After he arrived 


The Story of a Strange Valley 165 

at the settlement in Panamint his gun 
needed a front sight and he wished it 
made of the stone taken from near the 
spring in the desert. The rock proved 
to be silver. The spot where the rock 
was found was dubbed the ‘ Gunsmith 
Lead,’ and everybody was wild to find it.” 

“Could n’t the man go to it?” asked 
both the boys. 

“No; he had wandered along without 
using his eyes,” remarked the Professor, 
significantly, “ and could not tell the way 
he came. Many men went to look for 
the place. One party, ten years after 
Bennett had told about it, found the spot 
where the poor emigrants had camped. 
There had been no rain. The frying-pans, 
bed-quilts, and the toys of the children 
were found among the skeletons, wagon- 
chains, yokes, and guns. Mr. Masters 
wants to find that lead. There is some talk 
that it has been accurately located at last, 
and he wishes me to examine the rocks.” 


i66 


Two of the Best 


Clarence came up close to the Pro- 
fessor, his eyes dilated with terror and 
excitement. “ Is it as bad there now as it 
was then ?” he asked. 

“ Don’t get scared,” said Rowdy. “ We 
are not emigrants, and we ’ll be better 
fixed than anybody that has been there. 
It ’s been surveyed,” he added, with a 
note of pride in his voice. He was be- 
ginning to feel how necessary to the world 
were surveyors and civil engineers. 

“Yes,” answered the Professor; “there 
is nothing to fear except from lack of 
thought and foolhardiness. We take a 
good supply of water and we know where 
the springs are.” 

It was settled that they should start 
early in June. 

Rowdy was full of happy excitement. 
He filled Clarence with enthusiasm. Per- 
haps he might discover the lead, he 
thought, and they could get all the money 
they needed. Clarence could go right off 


The Story of a Strange Valley 167 

to Europe, and he would follow on later, 
after he had gone through college. He 
talked of it so much, that he felt as if he 
had already found the mine and had plenty 
of money. 

It was Professor Williams’s opinion that 
the mine had been buried out of sight by 
a cloudburst. But Rowdy got a map of 
the valley and tried to locate the place. 
Both boys studied it with interest. 

“ I don’t like the name, ‘ Death Valley,’ ” 
said Clarence. “ It makes me think of 
that old insect-trap. I hate to find such 
murderous things in nature.” 

“ Oh ! Brace up ! ” said Rowdy, nudging 
him and sticking a pin in the map. “Here ’s 
Death Valley. ‘ It is the bed of an old 
river. It is two hundred feet below the 
sea-level,’” — he read from a book which 
told the history of the valley. 

“ Here is the Funeral range on the 
east,” he explained, putting a pin in the 
dark, feathery line. 


Two of the Best 


1 68 

“ What an awful name for mountains,” 
sighed Clarence. 

“ A silly name,” answered Rowdy, “ for 
they are as gay as a flower-garden. The 
rocks are every color you can think of.” 

“It’s a pretty hot place,” said Clar- 
ence, as he looked over Rowdy’s shoulder 
and read that the thermometer gets up to 
: 37 degrees in summer. 

“ I should say it was hot,” answered 
Rowdy. “ This book * says : ‘ Two men 
slept in running water with their heads on 
stones to keep their faces above the fluid. 
Chairs fell apart. Water-barrels left empty 
lost their hoops in an hour. One end of a 
blanket that had been washed was found 
to have dried while the other end was 
manipulated in the tub. A handkerchief, 
taken from a tub and held up to the sun, 
dried in a flash. Eggs were roasted in 
the sand. A man cannot go an hour with- 
out water without becoming insane.’” 

* Spears. 


The Story of a Strange Valley 169 

“What makes it so hot ? ” asked Clarence. 

“ Don’t you remember your geography ? 
The four ranges of mountains take up all 
the moisture so that by the time the winds 
reach the valley, they are like blasts from 
a red-hot furnace,” explained Rowdy, with 
the help of the book. 

“ You ’re reading all the frightful things. 
Here is the borax discovery. The man 
that worked that is now so rich they call 
him the “borax king.” That’s the kind 
of things to read,” said Clarence. He 
shivered as his eyes fell on the page that 
told that a man sitting on a load of borax 
had fallen off dead. “ He was so parched 
his head cracked open at the top.” 

“ Men drop dead here,” mocked Rowdy. 

“ You are a ’fraid cat. You better stay at 
home and fiddle, and Daddy and I ’ll go.” 

“ No, I ’ll go with you and Daddy if it 
kills me,” said Clarence solemnly. 

“ Well, you ’re a lump, to look so 
glum,” said Rowdy, giving him a friendly 


i ;o 


Two of the Best 


shake. “We ’ll see some grand things. 
There ’s the big wagons — largest ever 
used. Think of a hind-wheel seven feet 
in diameter ! Think of a man driving 
eighteen mules and two horses ! He 
steers them with a jerk-line. He beats 
the swells who drive the coaches at Bur- 
lingame out of sight,” said Rowdy, cheerily. 
“M’h!” he muttered, “this is the best 
ever. ‘ The team that draws the desert 
freight train stretches out for more than 
one hundred feet in front of the wagon. 
At the end of the journey, the teamster 
pulls up beside the dump with the mules 
in a line so straight that a stretched string 
would touch the ear of every mule on 
either side of the chain.’ Golly ! that’s a 
sight worth going to the desert to see. 
Those drivers must be great. I hope 
we ’ll get to know ’em — if they ’d speak to 
us,” added Rowdy, with unusual humility. 

“ It must be a fine sight,” acknowledged 
Clarence. “ I ’d like to see that.” 


The Story of a Strange Valley 1 7 1 

“You may, and heaps of more grand 
things, if you ’ll only be good,” chuckled 
Rowdy. “ There are Indians, the Piutes. 
We might have a real fight.” 

“ I ’ll stick to the mule-drivers ; you can 
have all the Indians,” drawled Clarence, 
remembering his dislike of old Storm 
Cloud of Pinkney Alley. 

Rowdy ached to be off. This trip 
seemed the best of all they had ever 
talked of or enjoyed. The big trees 
dwindled down to mere pickets in his 
memory as he thought of the dangers and 
wonders of Death Valley. “You see, if 
you were going to be a civil engineer and 
a surveyor, you ’d know how I feel. 
Pooh ! Some of the land has never been 
surveyed,” he said, reading : ‘ The con- 
tractors had been paid large sums of 
money by the Government for work they 
had not done.’ “Well, I never ! Think 
of cheating ” 

“ In a graveyard!” interrupted Clarence. 


172 


Two of the Best 


“ I ’m afraid, old boy, you don’t really 
want to go,” said Rowdy, not unkindly. 
“ You don’t have to, you know — ” 

“ Yes, I do. I want to see new places. 
I get new ideas as well as you do, even if 
I am not going to be the greatest engineer 
on earth. Who knows ? — I may write a 
grand piece of music after I come home 
from that dreadful and wonderful valley, 
and win fame and fortune,” protested 
Clarence. 

“ Well, we ’ll go, and perhaps we ’ll 
discover the Gunsmith Lead and we will 
get rich and great, quick,” remarked 
Rowdy. 

“You don’t have to be rich to be 
great,” argued Clarence, with the quaint 
little smile in his blue eyes. “ Don’t you 
remember what the copy-book says : ‘ The 
good are the only great ? ’ ” 

“You will be awful great, my good 
little boy, if you don’t look out,” good- 
naturedly jeered Rowdy. 


The Story of a Strange Valley 173 

“Trying to keep up with your noble 
gait, old chap,” smilingly answered Clar- 
ence, as he linked his arm in Rowdy’s. 
“ What do you suppose would have be- 
come of us, Rowdy, if it had n’t been for 
Daddy?” 

“ I suppose I would have been in jail, 
and you — you would have been in a music 
store with a face like a fried egg, and a 
heart breaking under your jacket because 
you could n’t take music lessons. Bless 
Daddy ! ” he murmured. “ Parson, we can 
never even it up ; but we will take care of 
him when he ’s old.” 

“ You bet we will ! ” said Clarence, with 
fervor. 




CHAPTER XVI 

JOURNEYING THROUGH THE DESERT 

THE Government explorers with whom 

* the Professor and the boys were going 

were ready the first of June. Uncle Joe, 

a colored man, one of the most famous 

guides known, was in the party. Among 

others was an expert signal officer and 

mineralogist and an Eastern millionaire 

who was interested in the borax mines. 

They went by rail to Mojave, and then 

over the sandy plain in buckboards drawn 

by burros that can eat cactus and grease- 

bush. They stopped and cooked at 

camp-fires made of the branches of the 

greasebush and the roots of the sagebrush. 

The boys helped to gather fuel for the 

fire. Rowdy grumbled at the number of 
174 


Journeying Through the Desert 175 

twigs of the greasebush they had to get 
before they could make a respectable 
blaze. He sighed for a log of wood. 
“ These things look like a pile of jack- 
straws.” 

They made a good enough fire to fry 
the bacon and boil water for coffee. The 
chief part of their food was in tin cans. 
Near the camp every night would swoop 
by a group of great black buzzards. They 
follow every team that crosses the desert, 
like death watchers. 

The party were to stay a few days at a 
ranch, and they camped at Bitter Spring. 
Professor Williams and the scientists 
wished to examine the rocky strata of 
Funeral Mountain. 

“ There ! Did I not tell you these 
mountains were gay ? ” said Rowdy, point- 
ing them out to Clarence. “A funeral is 
the last thing they would make any one 
think of.” 

“ They are called that because of the 


176 


Two of the Best 


graves,” answered Clarence, sadly, direct- 
ing Rowdy’s attention to a row of little 
mounds, the last resting-place of unknown 
men who had died of thirst. 

Rowdy grew pale for a moment, and 
then said, cheerfully, “Come on.” 

They climbed with the others to one of 
the highest peaks of the Panamints and 
looked down on Death Valley. 

“ It is grand ! ” admitted Clarence, as 
he looked at range upon range of moun- 
tains upon every side. The famous valley 
lay between the mountains, as bright and 
varied in color as a sash of Roman ribbon. 
The yellow sand and yellowish - green 
leaves of the greasebush, the black lava 
buttes, and the beds of soda and borax 
and salt, glistening like snow in the sun- 
shine, or gleaming like little pools of 
golden water, made a picture that could 
be seen nowhere else in the world. 

It pleased Rowdy immensely. He was 
thinking of all he had read of it. It 


Journeying Through the Desert 177 

seemed like a scene in a theatre, and he 
looked around, as did the artist upon the 
valley of Santa Clara. His look and 
attitude reminded Clarence of the artist, 
and he said abruptly : “ It is mighty fine ; 
but I would n’t give a prune orchard in 
Santa Clara valley for the whole of it.” 
He named, one after another, the fruit- 
farms and gardens familiar to them all, 
and brought before them a vision of that 
loveliest valley in California, — so serene, 
so refined, so peaceful, and so prosperous 
that the Death Valley seemed beside it a 
painted landscape, full of death and dan- 
gers and disease. 

The Professor put his arm over Clar- 
ence’s shoulder and drew him protectingly 
toward him. “ It is a brilliant spectacle,” 
said the Professor, “ but it would be death 
to cross that valley. Those snowy spots 
are salt, soda, and borax, that would make 
you intolerably thirsty — so thirsty that 
water would hardly satisfy you.” 


1 7 8 


Two of the Best 


Clarence shuddered. “ It is as gay and 
deadly as the old Darlingtonia ; but it 
won’t suck us into its make-believe pools.” 

“’Course not,” nonchalantly remarked 
Rowdy, looking as fearlessly and curiously 
at it as he had at the flower. 

They continued their journey and were 
jogging comfortably along when two of 
the mules gave out. The guide led them 
towards Mesquite Well to get more water, 
as their supply was low. Everything 
would have gone well if a terrific wind- 
storm had not arisen. The air seemed 
filled with brown smoke, and their very 
breath began to feel dry and gritty. 
Clouds of dust in every form imaginable 
rose like spirits, demons, and animals from 
the gulches. Clarence managed to mutter 
“ Der Freichutz,” and, indeed, it brought 
to the minds of all who had heard it the 
fantastic opera. These whirligigs of dust 
scare the Piute Indians, who believe 
witches are rising from the gulches. The 


Journeying Through the Desert 179 

Professor and his party hurried up the 
mountain to get out of the path of the 
storm. 

Racing against the wind brought vividly 
to the boys the memory of the run the 
good old ship had made before it was 
wrecked. How safe the immeasurable 
sea seemed to Clarence in comparison to 
this wind-blown land of heat and death ! 

While they were seeking shelter from 
the storm, two desert-tramps came along 
and stole their wagon and supplies. The 
man left in charge of them had gone to 
seek safety for himself. After the storm 
had ceased, the party separated. The 
signal-service officer and the others went 
to find the team. Professor Williams, the 
boys, and a guide pressed on to reach the 
nearest spring before night. The heat 
became intense. Clarence thought of all 
the dreadful things he had read, and was 
as eager as the Professor to get to the 
spring. The old guide began to act 


i8o 


Two of the Best 


queerly. The Professor noticed he did 
not keep the trail, and was inclined to 
wander aimlessly. The terrible heat had 
affected his mind, and when he started off 
in the direction opposite to where the 
Professor knew the spring to be, shouting 
“ Here it is ! Here it is ! " it was plain to 
see that he had gone insane, and that it 
would be death to follow him. He was 
going away from them as fast as he could, 
across the plains. 

Somewhat troubled, the Professor sat 
down to think. He knew he was but a 
short distance from Mesquite Well. He 
decided to leave the boys where they 
were, as they were exhausted and the heat 
was growing fiercer. “You will be per- 
fectly safe if you will do just as I tell 
you.’' They dug a hollow in the arid 
sand and fixed some greasebushes so that 
they made a little shade for their heads. 
The Professor tied his red silk handker- 
chief to a mesquite tree near them, to 


Journeying Through the Desert 181 

mark the place. He told the boys they 
would be far better to rest there until he 
came back than to tramp through the 
burning sand with him. They felt so 
tired and hot that they were glad to do as 
he said. He gave them the greater por- 
tion of the water he carried. Rowdy, 
thinking he had heard the rattle of a 
snake just as he was taking a drink in the 
early part of the day, had jumped aside 
and spilt more than half of the precious 
fluid out of the water-bag. The Profes- 
sor told them how to moisten their lips 
and tongues to keep them from swelling. 
He charged them to drink sparingly, in 
case he should be delayed, and they might 
be left without any water. If they did 
not move from where they were, he told 
them, they would be safe. 

The Professor, remembering Rowdy’s 
restless spirit and impulsive ways, espe- 
cially charged him on his honor to 
stay. He knew Clarence’s word could be 


182 


Two of the Best 


absolutely relied upon. After he had 
started the Professor turned back, and go- 
ing straight to Rowdy, put his hand on his 
head and said : “ My boy, do not go away 
from here. Stick to Clarence.” 

Rowdy promised he would not leave 
the place. The Professor told them again 
how to drink the water. “ Good-by, ” he 
said. “ Everything lies with yourselves. 
If anything should happen that I should n’t 
come back the officers and Mr. Furman 
will soon reach you and take care of you.” 




CHAPTER XVII 

LOST IN THE DESERT 

HE boys felt tired and exhausted. 



* Clarence turned on his side, and 
nestling his head on his arm, he shaded 
his eyes with his hat and soon went to 
sleep. Rowdy tossed restlessly around, 
but finally fell asleep. They slept peace- 
fully for some time. 

Rowdy woke up before Clarence did. 
H is first impulse was to dig him in the 
ribs and wake him, too ; but he decided to 
get a drink first. He was very thirsty. 
His mouth felt dry and parched, and his 
throat ached. It seemed as if there were 
scales on his tongue. He grabbed the 
water-bag. He forgot what the Professor 
had said about drinking sparingly and 


184 


Two of the Best 


wetting his lips and tongue, and took a 
long, long drink. He felt so hot and 
feverish, he poured some on his hands and 
wet his hair before he realized how selfish 
he had been. 

“ Poor old Parson won’t have much to 
drink when he wakes. I did not mean to 
be such a hog,” he said. As usual, after 
he had obeyed his thoughtless impulse, he 
felt sorry for what he had done. His two 
long drinks and the washing of his hands, 
face, and head had left but little water for 
Clarence. “ Perhaps I can find some my- 
self,” he thought. “ Daddy could not 
have expected me to keep dead still here. 
Why, there is a pool over there.” He 
took the water-bag and walked toward 
what looked like a cool, sweet lake, with 
trees and leaves and grasses mirrored in 
its surface. It was but a desert mirage. 

Professor Williams had explained very 
clearly to the boys how many a thoughtless 
traveller had been deceived by these allur- 


Lost in the Desert 


185 

ing pictures in the air, that were no more 
real than the pictures in a soap-bubble. 

“ Only a confounded mirage ! " said 
Rowdy, crossly. He had taken the silk 
handkerchief from the bush to keep the 
burning sun off his neck. All the grease- 
bushes, mesquite trees, and black rocks 
looked alike, and he had walked farther 
away from Clarence than he knew. He 
started back. He went to what he thought 
was the tree ; but when he reached it, he 
found he had made a mistake. He looked 
carefully around. He was sure he saw 
the place this time ; but again he made a 
mistake. He would have shouted, but he 
did not want to wake Clarence, because 
he had drunk all the water, and besides, 
his throat was so parched he could not 
have made himself heard. He wandered 
back and forth and then, confused by the 
heat and angry with himself, he walked 
unknowingly farther and farther away 
from the spot where Clarence was. In 


Two of the Best 


1 86 



his excitement he ran from rock to rock 
until, weary and faint, he fell down. He 
started up again, throwing away his coat, 
then his vest. On, on he went, growing 
delirious in the torturing heat. He took 
off his trousers. He had lost his hat. He 
ran to and fro until, finally, he fell by a 
rock, moaning piteously 
for water. 


LOST 


JN THE DESERT. 


Lost in the Desert 


187 


Clarence woke up much confused and 
startled. Soon he remembered where he 
was and called for Rowdy. His voice 
was husky, for he was thirsty. He looked 
eagerly around for the water-bag. It was 
gone. There was no sign of Rowdy. He 
tried to call again. His anxiety seemed 
to give him strength for a moment. He 
staggered to his feet, and peered around 
the rock and in the greasebushes. He 
looked in every direction, and although 
his lips were dry and parched, he called 
for Rowdy once more. He soon noticed 
that the silk handkerchief was gone. He 
was filled with terror. A terrible feeling 
of loneliness made his heart ache. For 
miles and miles around he could not see 
a living thing. There was only that des- 
olate stretch of yellow, burning sand, spot- 
ted with black and shining like burnished 
brass in places where the sand was yellow- 
est and the deposits of salt and borax 
heavy. He also thought he saw a little 


Two of the Best 


1 88 

lake of water. He looked closely and 
long at it. He remembered what Pro- 
fessor Williams had told him of the mir- 
ages. He inferred this was one, because 
if water had been so near the Professor 
would not have gone to the spring. 

Stronger than his thirst, and it was tor- 
turing him ; stronger than his longing to 
find Rowdy, and that was intense — was 
his spirit of loyalty. “ It would n't be 
fair to Daddy to leave,” he thought. “ I 
gave him my word I ’d stay, and I must,” 
he murmured wearily, as he sank in his 
hollow in the hot sand, too sorrowful and 
desolate for words. The stillness was 
awful. He took up his violin, but his 
hands were so dry and unsteady he could 
not play. “ If Daddy comes he ’ll find 
me,” he moaned. “ God, don’t forget 
me,” he prayed, “and help me stay here.” 
H is thirst was agonizing. He thought of 
the poor guide, who had run away. He 
fell into a stupor, and was delirious when 


Lost in the Desert 189 

Professor Williams found him with his 
hands fiercely clutching the greasebushes 
near him. He muttered over and over 
again : “ Help me to stay ! Help me to 
stay !” Professor Williams cared for him 
tenderly. He gave him not only water, 
but other restoratives that soon cooled 
and quieted him. When the loyal boy 
opened his eyes he looked at the Pro- 
fessor and said : “ I asked God to help me 
stay, Daddy. I wanted to find Rowdy,” 
and he sank into unconsciousness again. 
Professor Williams was so anxious to 
learn something of Rowdy that he could 
not let Clarence sleep long. The Pro- 
fessor had searched around the spot. He 
saw that the water-bag was gone, and also 
the red silk handkerchief. He had fol- 
lowed his own trail back and had easily 
found Clarence. He examined the foot- 
prints in the sand as well as he could in 
the growing darkness. Finally, he woke 
Clarence. He was pained and startled 


Two of the Best 


190 

when he learned that Clarence knew no- 
thing of Rowdy. Professor Williams, 
knowing how impulsive and restless the 
boy was, feared that he had wandered away. 
He did not understand why he should 
have taken the water and the silk hand- 
kerchief. Such an act of selfishness and 
thoughtlessness was like the old Rowdy 
whom he first met on the ship ; not like 
the noble youth who had made such a 
masterly struggle to control his temper 
and his heedless impulses. 

The rest of the party, who had joined 
the Professor soon after his return, were 
ready to help him search for the missing 
boy. Those who had gone for the wagon 
had overtaken and surprised the tramps, 
who had prepared for a good dinner and 
a long encampment in a gulch which they 
thought would shield them from sight. 

Professor Williams led the search party, 
calling at the top of his voice for Rowdy. 
They all shouted at intervals. No an- 


Lost in the Desert 19 1 

swer came through the stifling darkness 
and heat. All night the Professor watched 
and sought for the missing boy. 

Worn and anxious, they went out early 
in the morning. Some one chanced upon 
Rowdy’s coat, another found his trousers. 
The searchers began to hope of finding 
him. On a butte, covered with pebbles 
from an ancient beach, they found his 
hat. 

Poor Clarence was distracted with grief. 
He tried to call. He played upon his 
violin the tunes that Rowdy loved. He 
varied the sound in every way he could 
think of. It was a shriek, or now a wail 
or a trill or a long cry. No answer came 
from the burning waste. 

They searched for some days. They 
sent to the Panamint mining district for 
other searchers familiar with the desert. 
One day they found the remains of a 
body, half-buried in the sand. It had 
been almost devoured by the vultures and 


192 


Two of the Best 


was no longer recognizable. It was the 
body of a youth Rowdy’s size. Professor 
Williams did not let Clarence look upon 
it. It was buried where it was found. 
Professor Williams mourned for his splen- 
did boy. He and Clarence did not stay 
long in the borax districts. 

Rowdy had said to Clarence : “You 
can surely go to Europe to study if we 
find the silver mine, or something just as 
good, in the desert.” Clarence found 
something better than the Gunsmith lead. 
He found a friend. Mr. Furman, the 
New York millionaire, liked him from the 
first meeting. He loved music almost as 
much as Clarence did. He became deeply 
interested in the boy, and when he learned 
that Clarence hoped to study abroad Mr. 
Furman offered to send him to Brussels. 
After much consultation it was arranged 
that Clarence should accept the favor. 
It was understood that if he were a 
success, and earned money, he should 


return the sum expended upon him, with 
interest. 

His benefactor at first would not listen 
to this proposition. He finally consented 
to accept the lump sum without interest, 
and with it establish “The Whittleby 
Fund.” This fund would be devoted to 
the education of boys who gave evidence 
of talent, and who had patience and 
perseverance to work and study. 

“ Don’t limit it to music,” begged 
Clarence, remembering that Rowdy had 
needed money to study engineering. 
“ Let us have a fund to lend to any boy 
who wants and works — to — to be a civil 
engineer, or anything like that,” he said, 
with a sob in his voice. 

“All right,” agreed the jolly New 
Yorker. “ It shall be called ‘ The Whit- 
tleby Fund,’ and shall be for the use of 
any brave, honorable boy who wishes to 
master any art, profession, or trade for 
which he may show any ability and a 


i 9 4 


Two of the Best 


liking. Now, how ’s that, my great vio- 
linist ? Does that suit you ? ” 

“ Indeed it does. That s great,” an- 
swered Clarence. “ But I think it should 
be called by your name instead of by 
mine.” 

“ No, sir — no, sir,” answered Mr. Fur- 
man. “ It shall be named for the man 
who earns it ; not for the man who gives 


it.” 




CHAPTER XVIII 

CLARENCE GOES TO BRUSSELS 

DROFESSOR WILLIAMS sold the 
pretty little home on the hillside to the 
people who had taken it for the summer. 
He was going with an exploring party to 
South America. Clarence was closely oc- 
cupied getting ready to go to Brussels. He 
was glad that he had to do many things. 
He had less time to miss Rowdy, although 
each day it seemed he missed him more. 
He could not bear to talk of him. The boys 
never tired of doing so. They delighted 
to tell of the things he had done and said, 
of his famous kick and his jolly ways. To 
them he was a hero, and they glorified him. 
They did not know his selfish act in the 
desert had nearly cost Clarence his life. 


195 


196 


Two of the Best 


Professor Williams and Clarence spent 
their last month together in San Fran- 
cisco. Clarence started for New York in 
August, and arrived in the great city six 
days later, on one of the hottest days of 
the year. He had carried his violin 
across the continent as tenderly and care- 
fully as a loving mother carries her baby. 
He rarely let it go out of his hands during 
the trip, and he held it under his arm as 
he walked the streets of New York. He 
went to a workingman’s hotel in the 
lower part of the city. It was built by a 
wealthy man, and descriptions of it had 
been in the newspapers all over the coun- 
try. Rowdy and he had read of it, and had 
agreed to stop at it on their way to Europe. 
Clarence felt at home when he saw the 
clean marble stairway. It did not look so 
much like a palace as he had fancied it 
would from all he had read and dreamedof it. 

The little room to which he was as- 
signed seemed very cheerless. It was 


Clarence Goes to Brussels 197 

clean and nice enough, but there was no 
chair for him to sit upon. There was 
only a shelf to put his clothes on. He 
was allowed neither a candle nor lamp. 
He undressed by the light that shone into 
his room from the gas-jet in the hall. He 
could not see to read. It was very late 
before he was able to sleep. He wished 
he could have played on his violin. Two 
days after his arrival in New York 
he sailed for Belgium. 

When he arrived in Brussels he went 
to the American Consul to learn where he 
could find a place to live. The prices 
were so high at the lodgings recommended 
by the consul that Clarence was glad to 
accept the friendly advice of a clerk in a 
music-store, who understood the modest 
needs of boys who were not rich better 
than the consul did. He was soon settled 
in comfortable quarters. He paid a con- 
siderable sum extra for light, as he studied 
in the evenings. 


198 


Two of the Best 


Clarence had been so well taught that 
he was allowed to continue his studies 
and did not have to begin all over again, 
as many of the boys did. This gave him 
great satisfaction and pleased his old 
teacher in San Jose, who felt proud of his 
former pupil. 

Clarence wrote : “ I shall have to work 
hard to become anything. There are 
many boys ahead of me. I am going to 
practice ten hours a day, if I can. I have 
decided to bury myself to everything 
except music.” 

Clarence had to work hard. There 
were boys from all countries in the con- 
servatory and the competition was terrible. 
He had three pleasant friends who were 
as much in earnest and as anxious to get 
on as he was. They practised together 
twice a week. 

It was music, music, music, from early 
morning until late at night. Music seemed 
to be the only thing in the world. When 


Clarence Goes to Brussels 199 

he was not studying it, or practising it, or 
talking of it, he was reading of music and 
musicians. When he learned that Paga- 
nini played in the churches of Genoa when 
he was scarcely larger than his violin, 
Clarence practiced more diligently than 
ever. Like guiding stars to a ship were 
the names of Paganini, Joachim, Sarasate, 
Wilhelmj, and Ernst to him. The lives 
of these great violinists inspired him to 
work. He also wished to do honor to 
his patron and earn the money that was 
being so generously expended on him. 
Most of all, he longed to win fame and 
fortune for Professor Williams’s sake. 
There was no need now to remind Clar- 
ence of the slothful man’s cry : “ There is 
a lion in the way ; a lion is in the streets .” 
He had so many reasons to work that the 
days were not long enough for him to do 
all he wanted to. He was learning that 
“the hand of the diligent shall bear rule ,” 
and that the “ man diligent in his business 


200 


Two of the Best 


shall stand before kings,” for he made 
such progress that his teacher advanced 
him rapidly, and he had really appeared 
before a king who visited the school one 
day. The royal guest loved music, and 
his face lighted with pleasure when 
Clarence played. 

The only other one Clarence thought 
of in the world, beside his teacher, his pa- 
tron, and Professor Williams, was Margery 
Bell. A memory of her came to him like 
some sweet melody. All that was pretty 
in flower, bird, or sound suggested her. If 
he ever noticed a girl, it was to compare 
her in mind to Margery Bell. 

Clarence’s six years of study were de- 
lightfully varied by journeys to Germany 
and Italy. He spent one never-to-be-for- 
gotten day in Cremona, looking for the 
grave of Stradivarius, the king of violin- 
makers. He went to the museum in 
Genoa to gaze upon the Guarnerius, the 
favorite instrument of Paganini, who left 


Clarence Goes to Brussels 


201 


it to the city of Genoa, “ being unwilling 
that any other artist should possess it 
after him.” Clarence’s fingers ached to 
play on it. He would have given a great 
deal to hear how it sounded. “ Poor 
Paganini ! ” he thought. “ Let his work 
but not his life be your inspiration,” had 
written Professor Williams, in his answer to 
Clarence’s letter in which he told of his first 
reading of the life of the brilliant violinist. 

Except for his homesick desire to see 
Professor Williams occasionally, Clarence 
was very happy. The world of music was 
a world of enchantment. It seemed the 
happiest world of all to him. Sometimes 
for exercise he would walk up the Avenue 
Louise and enter the Bois de Lacombre — 
a park that looked like a beautiful wood. 
He could rest among the trees as he could 
nowhere else. Sitting upon one of the 
many benches he would dreamily watch 
the fashionable throng that rolled by him 
in handsome equipages. The coachmen 


202 


Two of the Best 


who drove with trance-like rigidity, the 
portly old ladies, the gray-haired men re- 
clining wearily on the cushions, looked as 
if they did not know there was such a joy- 
ous thing as music in the world. 

A wealthy woman who knew of Clar- 
ence drove by and smiled pityingly upon 
him as he rose from the bench to go home. 
“ Poor boy !” she said to her companion, 
“ he is studying at the conservatory and 
hopes to become rich and great. I believe 
he has some talent. He works hard.” 

Clarence walked along, listening to the 
lullaby the trees were murmuring. The 
messages of the whispering leaves meant 
more to him than the great lady’s pitying 
smile. If he had thought of her at all he 
would have pitied her, too, because she 
could not understand what the trees said, 
and did not live in the wonderful world of 
music — his glorious world, in which mere 
sounds were full of such meaning, beauty, 
and power. 



CHAPTER XIX 


SAVED BY CHANCE 

HILE Clarence was so deeply ab- 



* ’ sorbed in his music in Brussels, 
and Professor Williams was in the heart 
of the Andes in South America, a youth 
was dreaming of both of them, when- 
ever he had time to think of anything 
except fighting, far away in the Philippine 
Islands. 

He was known as “one of the best” 
and “ one of the bravest.” He was a hand- 
some young man, with brilliant, dark eyes 
and white teeth that seemed to flash when 
he smiled. He carried himself finely, as 
if born for a soldier. No man in the army, 
regular or volunteer, exhibited such manly 
self-control as this young sergeant. 


203 


204 


Two of the Best 


Those were days that tried the souls of 
older men than he. The terms of peace 
had not been agreed upon, and it was not 
known whether the islands belonged to 
the Americans or not. The Filipinos ex- 
pected the city would be turned over to 
them. They had been treated so cruelly 
in the past that they did not understand 
the kindness, forbearance, and modera- 
tion of the American soldiers. They 
thought the Americans were afraid of 
them. 

The soldiers were under the strictest of 
orders to keep the peace. The handsome 
young sergeant when on sentry duty was 
called “ a coward ” and vile names by the 
Filipinos as they passed to and from the 
city. One childish native went so far to 
show his contempt as to spit in the ser- 
geant’s face. The sergeant’s dark eyes 
dilated and shone with a dangerous light, 
and his alert figure straightened ; but for 
that, he might have been carved in bronze, 


Saved by Chance 


205 


so heroic was his quiet forbearance and 
patience. Ringing through his memory 
came the old familiar words he had heard 
so often : “ He that is slow to anger is 
better than the mighty , and he that ruleth 
his spirit than he that taketh a city.” 

How clearly the meaning of those words 
came home to him ! Truly, it was easier 
to fight for that city and go forth at the 
bugle’s call to face death for it, than to 
stand there and rule the spirit that was 
raging in him. He calmed himself, the 
words “ better than the mighty ” echoing 
through his mind. They seemed graven 
on his heart. His eyes filled with tears 
for one brief second as he recalled the face 
of Professor Williams, for the brave ser- 
geant exhibiting such superb self-control 
was no other than Rowdy. 

A Filipino going by mocked and jeered 
at him, but Rowdy heeded him not. He 
did not see the rice paddies nor the shin- 
ing banana-trees, heavy with yellow fruit. 


206 


Two of the Best 


He saw only the serene valley of Santa 
Clara a-bloom with the snowy blossoms of 
thousands and thousands of prune trees, 
and above them all the glowing dome of 
the Lick Observatory crowning Mount 
Hamilton. 

Rowdy’s life had been saved as by a 
miracle in the Desert of Death. He wan- 
dered far away from Clarence in his de- 
lirium. A wagon crossing the desert 
passed near him when he sank by the rock. 
He was calling piteously: “Water ! water ! " 
From the depths of the wagon a woman 
answered his cry with one almost insane 
in sound as his own. A man who was 
driving leaped to the ground with water 
for Rowdy. He took the boy in his arms 
and carried him toward the wagon. The 
woman reached for him with a shriek of 
joy. She soothed and petted him, and 
crooned tenderly over him as she made a 
bed for him. Her husband and brother 
looked at her and then at each other. 


Saved by Chance 


207 


“ He may be a godsend,” said the brother. 
“We will take him with us.” 

They had buried the woman’s son a day 
or two before. To her grief-stricken mind 
Rowdy looked not unlike her boy. She 
thought he was her own son. She smiled 
upon him and looked so comforted that 
the men’s hearts were filled with hope. If 
they could only get out of the desert as 
fast as possible to a cooler region, no doubt 
the woman’s mind would be restored and 
she would recover. Rowdy seemed sent 
direct from heaven. They were travelling 
in the opposite direction from Professor 
Williams and heard nothing of him. 
Rowdy was so ill and exhausted he lay as 
if dying. He murmured over and over 
again, “ Poor old Parson.” He would 
occasionally shout, “Daddy ! Daddy!” He 
lived over in his delirium the happy days 
among the Big Trees. 

“‘Great Jove with conquest crowned 
the Trojan band.’ I must salute the 


208 


Two of the Best 


conquerors,” he kept repeating, and made 
wild gestures as if trying to doff his hat. 

They stayed for some time on a farm in 
Santa Barbara, where the two invalids 
grew stronger. Mrs. Marston had grown 
better as soon as she had Rowdy to love. 
When it gradually dawned upon her that 
he was not her son, her mind was filled 
with such anxiety for him that she cared 
for him as if he were her own dear boy. 

Rowdy’s remorse for his selfish act, 
which he believed had caused the death of 
Clarence, was pitiable to see. He grieved 
so deeply that he recovered his health and 
strength very slowly. He was never tired 
talking to Mrs. Marston of Professor Wil- 
liams and Clarence and of all he owed to 
their love for him. Mrs. Marston wrote 
to Professor Williams. No answer came. 
When the letter reached San Jose, Pro- 
fessor Williams was on his way to South 
America and never received it. 

Mrs. Marston, whose own heart had 


Saved by Chance 


209 


known sorrow, comforted and strength- 
ened Rowdy as only a tender mother who 
understands boys can. Mr. Marston asked 
Rowdy to stay with them for some time, 
if not for always. 

The work at the cottage and the fine 
principles of Professor Williams had de- 
veloped Rowdy’s self-respect. He had 
a manly wish to earn his bread. This 
pleased Mr. Marston ; but he begged 
Rowdy to stay with him until Mrs. Mars- 
ton was well, and he would give Rowdy all 
the privileges of a son and Rowdy could 
do the duties of one, if he wished to feel 
that he was earning his living. Rowdy 
knew he owed his life to them and was 
glad to serve them in any way he could. 
His heart was full of gratitude. He went 
with the Marstons to their home in Ten- 
nessee. 

Frederico’s kind old mother in her little 
home in the Mexican quarter and Alfred 
Dey’s beautiful mother in the great 


210 


Two of the Best 


mansion near San Jose had given Rowdy 
glimpses of what a mother’s care, com- 
panionship, and love, might mean ; but 
he had never known until now how blest 
were boys with good mothers. He grew 
finer and better without knowing it. A 
new grace and gentleness improved his 
bearing. It came of willing and reverent 
service. He was glad to do anything for 
his foster-mother, as was everybody who 
knew her. She was greatly beloved in 
her pretty Southern home. Her kind 
and thoughtful attentions had made the 
lives of many humble people better and 
pleasanter, and, as flowers spring up 
where the rain falls and the sun shines 
in a gracious way, so loving deeds and 
words and thoughts greeted her wherever 
she went. She was so gentle and so deli- 
cate, and there was such a sad look in 
her sweet face, that she touched all that 
was noble and tender in Rowdy’s nature. 
He was glad he was strong, so he could 


Saved by Chance 


21 1 


save her many steps, carry her basket 
and bundles, and do her errands. He 
delighted to make her laugh, and he for- 
got his homesickness and longing for 
Professor Williams and Clarence in try- 
ing to chase away the sad look in her 
face. After a time it seemed to go away. 
She loved Rowdy as if he were her son, 
although she never forgot her boy so far 
away in the Desert of Death, whose un- 
earthed body Professor Williams had 
taken for that of Rowdy and reburied, 
marking it with a stone. 

When the war broke out in Cuba, 
Rowdy was eager to go. Mrs. Marston 
begged him not to do so. The sad look 
came back into her face. Rowdy stayed 
at home. He had a brave fight with 
himself ; but his gratitude to her and his 
love for her were greater than his wish 
to be a soldier. It was a hard day for 
him when the volunteers, many of whom 
he knew, left for Cuba. 


2 I 2 


Two of the Best 


He was soon glad he stayed at home. 
H e was able to serve his foster-mother in 
more ways than he ever had before. She 
had never fully recovered her strength 
after the trying experience in the Desert 
of Death. She gradually grew weaker 
and weaker until one day her gentle spirit 
left her frail body and went to join that 
of her own dear boy. 





CHAPTER XX 

A SOLDIER IN MANILA 

W HEN his friends and neighbors 
were enlisting for the Philippines 
the old longing to be a soldier filled 
Rowdy’s heart and he joined the army of 
volunteers. The days of preparation 
were full of joyful excitement. Encamp- 
ments were formed and the boys were 
drilled in the methods of war. The 
whole town was in the streets the day 
the Tennessee regiment started over- 
land to embark for the Philippines. Flags 
were flying, drums beating, bands play- 
ing, and people cheering, as the boys 
marched along. Mothers broke into the 
ranks to give a last good-by to dear 
sons, and sisters wept and small brothers 
213 


214 


Two of the Best 


hurrahed as the volunteers waited at the 
railroad station. 

The trip across the continent and the 
voyage over the Pacific ocean were en- 
joyed by all the boys, despite the close 
quarters and rigid discipline. 

The first days in Manila were ones of 
vexation and trial. They were idle days 
of suspense. The waiting, waiting, wait- 
ing, not knowing what the peace con- 
ference had decided, filled the boys with 
restlessness and discontent. 

One night when Rowdy was passing 
down the road a Filipino sergeant told 
him that he intended to post his sentinels 
very much nearer the city and within the 
American lines. He crossed the road 
and called Rowdy a coward. Rowdy 
paid no attention to him. The Filipino 
drew his sword and challenged him to 
fight. Rowdy obeyed the instructions 
given by his superior officer and took no 
notice of the Filipino’s action ; but his 


A Soldier in Manila 


215 


heart was hot with rage. He reported 
what the Filipino had said. 

That night G of Company D, Ne- 

braska regiment, was on duty. He had 
orders not to allow the Filipinos to place 
any sentries inside the American line. 

At half-past eight o’clock G knelt 

down beside a fence. He saw three men 
jump out of the brush and run toward 
him. He called for them to halt. He 
called twice. No attention was paid to 
his command. He fired. They stopped. 
Immediately from a block -house near 
and along the line a series of volleys 
poured in upon the American outposts. 
Many of the tents were riddled. A fire- 
balloon went up about the middle of the 
insurrection line. This was a precon- 
certed signal of attack. At sight of the 
balloon, firing began along the line. The 
war had begun. 

At four o’clock next morning the Ten- 
nessee regiment filed out along the road, 


2 l6 


Two of the Best 


singing “ There 11 be a hot time in the 
old town to-night.” They were as gay 
as if they were going to a picnic. They 
had not yet learned the horrors of fight- 
ing. Later in the day, when they heard 
the bullets singing in their ears, and saw 
men fall bleeding at their feet and against 
them, they realized what war meant. 

The Tennessee troops were exposed to 
the enemy’s fire. They had to cross a 
bridge near San Juan del Monte, of which 
the Filipinos had the range perfectly. 
Bullets whizzed furiously about them. 
Rowdy gallantly led his men. With 
heads bent forward they went across the 
bridge on a run, and, when within char- 
ging distance of their foes, they shouted 
the famous “ rebel yell.” The yell scared 
the Filipinos worse than the rifles. 
Yelling furiously and loudly, the Ten- 
nessee boys swept on. They advanced 
on Caloocan, where the Filipinos were 
entrenched. The road to Caloocan 


A Soldier in Manila 


2 1 7 



became a scene of desolation. Once it 
had been a beautiful avenue, lined with 
pretty houses set in fine gardens, and 
banana orchards heavy with golden fruit 
showing against broad, shin- 
ing green leaves. 

As the day advanced 
the heat became ter- 
rible. The hot 
glare of the 
sun ; the 
blaze of 


2 I 8 


Two of the Best 


the burning buildings ; the smell of 
baking bananas and scorching leaves ; 
the ashes flying like dust ; and pigs, 
chickens, and the dead roasting in the 
smouldering coals was a sickening and 
heart-breaking sight. Rowdy was horror- 
stricken. Bullets sang by his ear, snip- 
ping the leaves and branches of the trees. 
The broad rice-fields were trampled down 
by smoke-begrimmed, dust-covered howl- 
ing men. The clatter of the artillery, 
the roar of the canon, the crack of the 
musketry, the hiss of the bullet, the clang 
of clashing arms, the creak of wheels, the 
tramp of horses’ hoofs and of men’s feet, 
made a deafening noise. The burning 
heat, the blinding glare of the blistering 
sun, the prostrated wounded and dying, 
all seemed worse than the Desert of 
Death. It was horrible to Rowdy. 

He was faint and exhausted from loss 
of blood from a flesh wound. He sup- 
ported as best he could an officer of his 


A Soldier in Manila 


219 


regiment who was crippled and lay wait- 
ing for the ambulance to come to take 
him to the field hospital. As Rowdy 
knelt beside him two Filipinos came upon 
them. They had the wooden guns car- 
ried by those who went with the men 
who had Mausers. Their duty was to 
grab the Mausers of the Filipinos who 
were shot down and go on with the fight. 
One of the Filipinos caught up a Mauser 
and aimed at the wounded officer. Rowdy 
sent the last shot in his gun through the 
Filipino’s head. He fell beside the man 
he would have murdered. The other 
Filipino, who intended to kill Rowdy, 
snatched at a gun in a dead Tennessean’s 
hand. He was a sergeant. He had been 
shot through the head. His Mauser was 
pressed against his shoulder, as he lay 
to take a deadly aim. His left hand 
grasped the barrel on the under side. 
The forefinger of his right hand pressed 
the trigger lightly. The barrel rested 


220 


Two of the Best 


out on a mound of earth. He was in 
the act of firing when he was shot. His 
hands had stiffened in death. The Fili- 
pino sprang toward the dead American 
and seized the rifle by the barrel and 
tried to jerk it away. The barrel was in 
line with the Filipino’s breast. As he 
tugged furiously at the gun, he brought 
the trigger in direct touch with the stiff 
crooked finger of the soldier. The gun 
went off. The shot went through the 
Filipino’s breast. He fell in agony and 
terror on the body of the dead. 

Rowdy’s own heart seemed to stop 
beating. He had watched in dread. He 
momentarily expected the bullet would 
pierce his own brain. The relief was 
almost more than he could bear. He 
felt faint. The heat was terrible and his 
lips were parched. He reached for his 
canteen. There was one drink left. As 
he raised it toward his mouth he caught 
sight of the supplicating face of the 


A Soldier in Manila 


221 


Filipino, who was suffering with agoniz- 
ing thirst. Rowdy dragged himself over 
to him and stooped and gave him the 
water. The poor native’s face softened, 
and he looked up at Rowdy with piteous 
gratitude. Rowdy’s own thirst was mad- 
dening ; but he knew the wounded man’s 
was worse than his. As he gave the 
water to him it was not the Filipino’s 
face he saw, but the fair, fine face of 
Clarence. The bitter memory made him 
shudder. “Oh! If I had only given 
or left a drink for the Parson, how 
different life would have been ! ” he 
thought. He tenderly moved the wounded 
native, thinking all the time of Clarence 
lying in the sand in the Desert of Death. 

The nurses came for the wounded 
officer. They had picked up so many 
men as they had gone along, they could 
take no more. Rowdy said he was able 
to walk. He trudged slowly and pain- 
fully to the field hospital, carrying the 


222 


Two of the Best 


dying Filipino in his arms. He was so 
worn out when he reached the hospital 
tent that he fell senseless with his burden. 

For weeks he was ill. When he re- 
covered, active fighting was over. When 
he was convalescent, and wandering 
around among the ruins of the once 
beautiful road to Santa Ana, he found 
a fighting-cock that had been lamed. 
No one wanted it. No one claimed it. 
He took care of it. It had evidently 
been a great pet. He knew how the 
natives loved these roosters. Even the 
poorest of them was rich enough to own 
a fighting-cock. He had seen dozens of 
Filipinos trudging along that very road 
with roosters under their arms, talking to 
them and petting them as if they were chil- 
dren. The roosters seemed to understand, 
and crew, chirped, and snuggled against 
their masters, showing their content. 
Rowdy’s rooster was as companionable as 
a dog, and cheered many homesick hours. 


A Soldier in Manila 


223 


One day when Rowdy was going down 
the Escolta, he saw Mel Dickinson at the 
foot of the Puente de Espana, which is as 
closely crowded with people as a broom is 
with straws. Rowdy, as quickly as he 
could, made his way through the crowd to 
Mel. Mel was so surprised and so glad 
to see Rowdy, that, big chap as he was, he 
hugged him. They had much to tell each 
other. Mel had enlisted with the Califor- 
nia regiment. He, too, was a sergeant. 
He had been among the brave Californians 
who had made the fifth of February 
famous. They had done splendid work. 
In the morning they took Santa Ana ; and, 
marching dauntlessly on, they captured 
San Pedro Macati in the afternoon, and 
the day following they took Guadelupe. 

“ Did you feel scared, Mel ? ” asked 
Rowdy, interested to know if any other 
boy had felt as he did. 

“ Yes ; you bet I did, at first. When I 
had to stand up once and all the other 


224 


Two of the Best 


fellows were lying down behind trenches, 
I felt as big as the side of a barn, and as 
if I ’d be shot sure.” 

“ I know,” Rowdy answered under- 
standing^. “You feel that way at first; 
but when you get into it and everybody is 
yelling and firing, you don’t seem to think 
of anything but to keep your gun going.” 

“ I ’m glad it ’s over,” said Mel, shud- 
dering. “ I ’ve got enough fighting in 
mine. I can go into the regular army if 
I want to for bravery.” 

“So can I,” said Rowdy. 

“ Are you going ? ” asked Mel. 

“ I think not, unless I can go in the 
engineers’ corps.” 

The transport left a few weeks after 
Rowdy met Mel Dickinson, carrying the 
Tennesseans back home. Rowdy went 
to Tennessee with his regiment. When 
his company disbanded and he was hon- 
orably discharged, he went to New York 
with Mr. Marston. 



CHAPTER XXI 

A JOYFUL MEETING 

DOWDY was walking along Fifth 
* ^ Avenue near Central Park early 
one afternoon when his attention was at- 
tracted by an immense poster on a board 
fence which enclosed a vacant lot. 

The name Whittleby caught Rowdy’s 
eye. He stopped. His heart gave a 
quick bound. There, in big, bold let- 
ters, was the Parson’s name. 

The poster announced that Clarence 
Whittleby, who had played with such re- 
markable success in London, Paris, and 
Vienna, would appear at a concert given 
under fashionable patronage in New 
York. Rowdy looked at the date. It 
that very day. The concert had 


was 


226 


Two of the Best 


already begun. He hailed a stage. It 
went so slowly and stopped so many 
times he grew anxious, and something 
of the old, hurried, exasperated feeling 
that had irritated him the day on the 
Market Street cable when he was hasten- 
ing to stow away on the steamer, filled 
him with impatience to-day. Below For- 
ty-second Street he jumped out of the 
coach, got into a hansom, and ordered 
the driver to go as fast as the law allowed 
to the big hotel where the concert was 
held. 

He entered the hotel and strode rap- 
idly down the main corridor without see- 
ing the idle crowd of men and women 
who stared with insolent curiosity at the 
handsome youth who went with quick, 
swinging step to the desk. He asked 
eagerly where the concert was held. He 
was directed to the elevator. The con- 
cert was nearly over. He entered the 
gorgeous ball-room amid a storm of ap- 


A Joyful Meeting 


227 


plause. A man showed him the number. 
It was the last on the programme. It 
was a violin solo by Clarence Whittleby. 
A man standing near told him the player 
“was great — all right/' and that this 
was the second encore. Presently the 
violinist appeared. Rowdy strained for- 
ward. His head swam. He leaned 
against a pillar for support. That digni- 
fied, modest young man, with fair hair 
and calm, honest blue eyes, could be 
none other than the Parson. He was 
finer looking, more manly, more noble, 
and there was no timidity in his bearing ; 
but it was surely the Parson. Rowdy 
shut his eyes. P"or a moment he forgot 
where he was. It was strange he had 
never thought that the Parson might 
have been saved. It seemed to him he 
had been very stupid never to have 
hoped and believed that Clarence was 
alive when his own escape had been so 
wonderful. 


228 


Two of the Best 


Women leaned way over the boxes dain- 
tily clapping in a pretty, eager way when 
Clarence made his bow to begin. He 
looked up at a centre box filled with 
Californians. A golden-haired young 
woman sat in the front of it. She was 
waving her handkerchief in an ecstasy of 
delight. Rowdy looked at the box. 
There was something familiar in the 
young woman’s appearance. Her flower- 
wreathed hat obscured her lovely face, 
or Rowdy would have known in a mo- 
ment, despite the fact that the golden 
curls were smoothed into a coil and there 
was much dignity and repose in the man- 
ner of the young girl, that she was none 
other than Margery Bell. 

Clarence played one of his own com- 
positions, through which ran a strange, 
searching strain of music, recurring again 
and again. It was so strong, so wild, 
yet so pleading and full of tender love 
and anxiety, that, instead of the tones of 


A Joyful Meeting 229 

an instrument, it seemed a human voice 
broken with sobs, calling for someone 
lost or dead. 

The audience was unusually still. Not 
the folding of a programme, the rustle 
of a womans gown, the jingle of a 
girl’s trinkets, the whispers of thoughtless 
critics, nor the appreciative murmurs of 
music-lovers broke the profound stillness. 
Tears filled many eyes. 

“ By Jove ! The strain he played in 
the Desert of Death ! ” whispered a man 
near Rowdy to his companion. “ He’s a 
wonder ! ” 

The music ceased in a sigh of despair. 

As if in answer to the call, as the 
player stopped, a voice clear and joyous 
broke the stillness. It was like a trum- 
pet call from a mountain top. “ Bravo ! 
Bravo ! Parson ! ” rang through the room. 

Many heads turned in the direction of 
the sound, and saw a handsome youth 
leaning forward. His brilliant dark eyes 


230 


Two of the Best 


were shining with emotion and excite- 
ment. His face was radiant with joy and 
gratitude. His head was lifted eagerly. 
He was looking at the violinist, and stood 
as if ready to clear with a bound the aisle 
and take the player in his arms. 

Clarence looked at him, started, and 
drew his bow across his eyes. He looked 
again, then reeled, and would have fallen 
except for the help of his accompanist, 
who caught him and carried him from the 
stage. 

A stalwart man, whose fine head was 
crowned with heavy gray hair, rose from 
his seat at the first sound of the joyous 
voice. He looked searchingly at the 
young stranger. There was but one he 
knew who carried his head in that spirited 
way. Those gleaming white teeth and 
brilliant eyes shining under level brows 
— there was no mistaking them. He 
made his way quickly to Rowdy, and had 
nearly reached him when Rowdy turned 


A Joyful Meeting 


231 


and saw him. He grew white and tried 
to say, “ Daddy ” ; but the words choked 
in his throat. His face worked with 
emotion. He tried to reach out his hands. 
Professor Williams grasped him by the 
shoulders, saying : “ Thank God ! Thank 
God ! 

Rowdy bent his head and murmured 
after him reverently and with deeper feel- 
ing : “ Thank God ! Thank God ! ” 

“Come! We must go to Clarence,” 
said the Professor. “ He has mourned 
for you all these years. He wished this 
morning that you, who had hoped for and 
planned this day with him, might be here 
to hear him play. You answered his call. 
His mind was full of you, for the last 
piece he played has the refrain that came 
to him in the Desert of Death when he 
tried to make you hear by playing on his 
violin. To-day he played it as if in a 
dream. It brought all that terrible ex- 
perience back again. As he finished, you 


Two of the Best 


23 2 

called out, and he could scarcely believe 
that you were not a ghost of his imagina- 
tion. It was a fearful shock.” 

“ Tell him it is I, that I am alive,” urged 
Rowdy. “ I know how he must feel. I 
could not believe my eyes when I saw his 
name on a bill this morning. I came down 
Fifth Avenue dazed — hoping, doubting, 
yet praying that it might be true that 
Parson was alive. He has had no black 
shadow on his heart all these years. I 
felt as if I had killed him. I sometimes 
felt as if I were a murderer and should 
not go with decent people. Oh, Daddy ! 
I feel as if a weight that has been press- 
ing on a sore spot for years had suddenly 
fallen off. It seems as if I had awakened 
from a horrible nightmare.” 

Professor Williams saw Clarence first 
and assured him that it was no ghost he 
had seen, but the real, live Rowdy. 

After the greetings were over, Clarence 
was eager to know how Rowdy was saved. 


A Joyful Meeting 


233 


Rowdy told them the story of his rescue 
and how kind the Marstons had been to 
him. 

“ Ah ! I was right/’ said Professor 
Williams, when Rowdy told them of 
Mrs. Marston’s help and friendship. “ I 
wondered if it were not association with 
some motherly gentlewoman that had 
given you the dignity, the grace, and the 
ease that sits so well upon your broad 
shoulders, my boy.” 

“ I owe much to her. My own mother 
could not have loved me more. She was 
not blind to my faults, but was so just and 
honest and gentle with me, that she 
made me understand clearly what a self- 
ish brute I might become. She helped 
me to control my temper, although after 
that awful experience in the Desert of 
Death, my old black temper did not 
throw me down so often,” said Rowdy, 
looking sadly at Clarence. “ Sometimes 
it would make me act like a demon, and 


234 


Two of the Best 


my tongue, hands, and body would say and 
do things before I knew it that I was 
always sorry for. Whenever I found my- 
self forgetting, I thought of what I had 
done in the Desert of Death and I would 
jerk myself up. When I flew into a rage 
I got hold of myself as if I were another 
person. Getting a grip on my temper 
became like a race, a game, a chase. I 
vowed I ’d win and I tried every way I 
could to do it. I failed lots of times. It 
seemed as if my temper would always be 
quick and throw me down, but gradually 
I gained self-mastery. I tell you, I was 
glad I got some sort of grip on it before 
I went into the army. Daddy, I had 
several opportunities to realize ‘ He that 
is slow to anger is better than the mighty ,’ 
was true.” 

“It is hard to master ones temper,” 
said Clarence, in his old sympathetic way. 

“ You dear old Parson ! What do you 
know of temper ? ” laughed Rowdy. 


A Joyful Meeting 


235 


“ I ’m not quick,” answered Clarence ; 
“ perhaps I ’m a little too slow yet I 
was so cautious and timid that if Daddy 
had n’t shown me one day that I was 
pretty nearly a coward, I ’d sneaked out 
of lots of things, and would never have 
been able to do what I did to-day. Ah, 
Daddy, I thought of the slothful man’s cry 
many a time,” said Clarence, putting his 
arm over the Professor’s shoulder as he had 
done when a boy. He turned to Rowdy, 
saying : “ Old man, timidity and laziness, 
and a tendency to get discouraged easily, 
are as hard to fight as a quick temper.” 

“You’ve made a good fight, son,” 
said Professor Williams, his noble face 
lighted with pride and affection as he put 
his arms around the boys in the old fa- 
miliar way they both remembered so well. 

“ But, Parson, you do n’t hurt anyone 
but yourself with what you call cowardice, 
but I — I was in danger of doing damage 
to my best friends.” 


236 


Two of the Best 


“ Oh ! come now. Rust is worse than 
fire. I shall not be made out better than 
you, brother,” said Clarence, slapping 
Rowdy affectionately on the back. “ Go 
on, old chap ; tell me the rest of what hap- 
pened to you.” 

Rowdy took Clarence’s head in his 
hands and said : “ Parson, I feel as if 

every moment I must shout ' Thank God, 
Parson is alive ! I ’ve found Daddy ! v 
Oh ! if you could know what a beggar 
I ’ve felt like all these five years, you 
would understand how glad I am.” 

“ I do. I ’m glad, myself,” insisted 
Clarence. 

“ But I have more reason to be glad,” 
persisted Rowdy. 

“ Tell us how you became a hero,” 
interposed Professor Williams. 

Rowdy told them how he went to the 
Philippines, and of the fighting of the 
Tennessee boys. “ I could have been 
a lieutenant in the regular army, but 


A Joyful Meeting 237 

I preferred to perfect myself in my 
profession.” 

“Civil engineering ?” asked Clarence. 

“Yes; it’s the business for me,” an- 
swered Rowdy, with enthusiasm. “What’s 
your programme, Parson ? ” 

“ I play in all the principal cities of the 
United States, and after a vacation I go to 
Australia.” 

“When do you play ’Frisco?” asked 
Rowdy. 

“ In June,” answered Clarence. 

“ Good ! ” exclaimed Rowdy. “ I ’ll be 
there to whoop it up. It is just as we 
planned. It’s come true. It is like one 
of Hans Andersen’s fairy yarns.” 

“Better,” said Clarence. “You and 
Daddy will come with me, and we will 
spend our vacation in the old cottage if 
we can get it.” 

“ Agreed,” said Rowdy. 

“Yes; we must all go to San Jose. 
I have business there and, Rowdy, you 


238 


Two of the Best 


have, too. You will have to attend to 
your bank account. I have your book. 
When we thought you would never use the 
money, we decided to leave it there and 
some day add it to the Whittleby Fund.” 

Clarence told him how the Whittleby 
Fund had originated and what it was for. 

“ Come, boys ! Have you forgotten 
how to eat ? ” asked Professor Williams. 

“ Never ! ” they both exclaimed. “ Let ’s 
have a jolly old-time meal with all the 
things we like the best,” cried Rowdy. 

“ I am with you on that,” assented the 
Professor. 

“ Me, too,” joined in Clarence, ungram- 
matically but enthusiastically. 

As they entered the broad hall they 
met a beautiful woman whom Rowdy 
immediately recognized as Mrs. Dey. 
With her was a pretty young girl who 
was none other than Margery Bell. They 
both greeted Clarence heartily, telling 
him how proud they were of him. 


A Joyful Meeting 


2 39 


Rowdy felt strangely embarrassed. He 
had not seen much of Margery Bell 
since the day he had quarrelled with 
Clarence at Mrs. Dey’s musical. Mrs. 
Dey greeted Rowdy in her kind, friendly 
way, and he was at ease in a moment. 
She had words of praise for him as 
well as for Clarence, and asked Profes- 
sor Williams if he were not proud of 
his boys. 

Margery Bell turned to Rowdy and 
shook hands with him cordially and told 
him how glad they all were to find that 
he was alive and had done so well. 

Rowdy, who was generally so ready of 
speech, felt awkward and abashed, and 
said but little. 

Clarence talked to her as easily and 
frankly as if she were his sister as they 
went down the broad stairway laughing 
together. Rowdy would like to have been 
the one going down with her, but he 
walked with Mrs. Dey and Professor 


240 


Two of the Best 


Williams to learn something of Alfred and 
of Eugene Sands. 

When the party were seating them- 
selves at one of the tables in the gay 
dining-room, the botanist who urged Pro- 
fessor Williams to leave the boys and go 
to the Philippines with him spied them 
and came toward them. 

After exchanging greetings, Professor 
Gregg asked Professor Williams where 
he had come from ? 

“ From South America,” answered the 
Professor. “ And you ? ” 

“ From Alaska,” said Professor Gregg ; 
adding quickly, “ Did you find any new 
specimens ? ” 

“Yes; found two I’d lost track of,” 
answered Professor Williams, his eyes 
twinkling. 

“ That so ? That so ?” repeated Pro- 
fessor Gregg, nodding his head and hitting 
his thumb nail with his eye-glasses. “What 
are they ? ” 


A Joyful Meeting 


241 


“ The most interesting specimens in the 
world,” said Professor Williams, earnestly, 
although his eyes were laughing. 

“ My gracious ! ” exclaimed Professor 
Gregg. “ You don’t mean to say that you 
have discovered ” 

“ Two boys,” interrupted Professor 
Williams, merrily. 

“ Boys ! ” echoed Professor Gregg, 
making no effort to conceal his disap- 
pointment. “ What kind ? ” he queried. 

“This kind,” said Professor Williams, 
standing between Rowdy and Clarence, 
and hooking each one by the arm with 
his strong hands. 

“ Ah ! I see the joke,” said Professor 
Gregg, testily. “ I remember now,” he 
added, not unkindly, as his withered face 
softened a shade. “You thought you’d 
lost one. They are fine specimens,” he 
admitted patronizingly, turning his spec- 
tacles on the happy faces of Rowdy and 
Clarence. 


242 


Two of the Best 


“Yes; two of the best,” answered Pro- 
fessor Williams, affectionately drawing 
the boys closer to him. 

THE END. 



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